Kamikaze and the Blind Bandit
by RedDauntless
Summary: Three years after the end of the hundred year war, the nations are still wrought with anxiety and distrust. Still, Toph Beifong has managed to settle nicely into her new life at her metalbending academy. But after running into an old friend, she is forced to re-evaluate her "view" on the world. *Rated for slight violence and heavy social themes*
1. Prologue: The Summer Solstice

**This is my first Avatar fanfiction. I'm not starting with chapter one, so it might get a little confusing. I will be posting the complete version in one night, so I won't be explaining much about the chapters when I update them. If you have questions please leave a review or send me a message! I would be happy to reply. :) **

**Avatar: The Last Airbender (c) Nickelodeon/ Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko **

_PROLOGUE: The Summer Solstice _

"Metal," Toph announced. Her usual booming voice shook the windows. "Is a state of mind." She paced back and forth in front of her students, her feet digging into the ground so far they left a deeper and deeper impression with every repetitive step. "You have to form the perception to sense the earth in everything. Man thought they could tame earth by melting it down and turning it into steel." She stopped, listening to the vibrations in the ground. Turning around she shot her fist into the metal sheet in front of her. It cut through the sheet as though it were made of paper. "But they were wrong. The earth is rigid. Despite the name 'Earth-Bending' it bends to no one's will." She gave a slight sadistic smile. "The key," she said, sending the metal flying across the dojo. "Is to feel, not to think."

The students stood in amazement. She could feel their excitement and their fear. This was her favorite part of the job. It was such a thrilling combination. In the three years her academy had been open, she now knew the methods that did and didn't work on the kids. She felt she was getting better and better at it with every go around. Each session, a student learned something faster than the last. Every new year was a learning experience not only for them, but for her as well. Not that she would ever admit that.

She lined her pupils up and placed the sheet of metal in front of them. "Now, this is easy. I want you to put your hand on the metal and feel it. Close your eyes...try to sense the earth within it." The students followed her instructions, calming themselves. Toph grinned. "Now...ram your head into the metal as hard as you can!" She could feel the tension rise. The students all recoiled from the sheet before them.

"Y-you want us to head-butt the metal?" one quivered.

"Can't you die from that kind of thing?" another boy piped up.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Toph grimaced. "I thought this was an academy for earthbenders. I didn't mean to interrupt your little girl's tea party. How rude of me." She got directly into his face, feeling his heavy heart beat. She had learned that even though she couldn't see him, him seeing her unhappy was an excellent motivator. "You've all slammed your heads into a rock before. If you haven't, then I suggest going back to basic earthbending training." She spit on the ground and grabbed the boy up by his shirt. "Now you can either ram your head into that sheet of metal or I'll ram it in for you, how's that sound?"

She let go of him and gave him distance. The boy gulped as he looked at his metal. Running in head first, he slammed his forehead into the solid sheet. As though on a trampoline, his head ricocheted backwards as he collapsed onto the floor, not leaving a dent in the metal. Toph sighed as the boy held his head in pain.

"Well, that's just disappointing," she mumbled, shaking her head. "I told you. You have to be stronger than the metal. It already knows it's earth! You don't have to tell it that." She began to pace again as the other students shivered. "You think that flinging coins and bending pipes with your hands is going to get you anywhere? Well, it's not! You need to be physically and mentally ready to face it head on." She wiped the sweat from her brow. "Maybe we have to develop your strength a little more." The group made a collective sigh as Toph whipped around and gave them another "motivational glare." They quickly changed their apparent attitudes.

Toph dropped a ball of solid metal into each of their hands, hearing them squeal with discomfort as they realized how heavy they actually were. "One hundred reps! Alternating hands! Let's go! One! Two! One! Two!" The students did as they were told, balancing on rocks and moving the metal ball from one hand to another. Next, they passed the balls over their heads. "Come on, Lilly-livers! You think this is hard? Try taking down an entire fleet of fire nation airships! Don't slouch! Stop your whining! One! Two! One! Two! I don't see you sweating!" She smiled triumphantly at her work, and her joke. The glistening smell of sweat was always pleasing to her whether it was hers or some other sucker's.

"Well, you're just as nurturing as ever," a voice came from the other side of the room. Toph froze as she turned to face the direction the voice was coming from. A wide grin formed on her face.

"Sokka!" she exclaimed, running to greet her friend. "What's up, Meathead?" she said, giving him a hard sock in the shoulder. Sokka tried to pretend pain wasn't searing down his arm and grinned.

"Just came to check out the team! Looks like you've got a good batch this year."

"Any batch be a good one if you cook it right," Toph retorted. She suddenly felt the energy from her students drop significantly. Mortified, she spun around. "Did I say you could take a break!" Soon, the energy picked up to its usual level. Toph exhaled, her jovial expression returning. She slapped her old friend on the back and lead him back outside. "So what happened that you decided to come all the way out here and visit little old me?" She elbowed him in the side. "Are Mister and Mrs. Oogles driving you bonkers again?"

Sokka laughed. "Well, it's not just me..." he said. "Hey!" he shouted over the stairs as a girl with short brown hair waved back. Toph felt the vibrations and sighed in a slight disappointment.

"You brought Suki along?"

"I did!" he shouted. He lead her down where she greeted the Kyoshi warrior, who was no longer dressed in her garb, but rather in summer day clothes.

"Hey there, Toph," she said smiling genuinely. "How have things been going?"

"Oh, you know. Breaking bones, creating blisters. My days aren't exactly picnic lunches." Suki awkwardly nodded, unsure of what to say. Of all the friends she had met through Sokka, Toph was the one she could never quite pin down. Sokka brought his arms around the two of them and smiled.

"Isn't this great? My best friend and my girlfriend getting along!"

"Y-yeah," Toph said, trying not to sound sarcastic. It wasn't that she didn't like Suki, it was just hard for her and Sokka to talk when she was around. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a surprise!" Sokka said excitedly. "But you have to come with us to find out what it is!"

Toph's face flattened. "What if I don't care what it is?" Sokka's face fell, disappointed.

Suki put her arm on Sokka's shoulder to console him. "We're going to the beach for the Summer Solstice. Aang and Katara are already there. You should join us!"

"Is Zuko coming?" she asked, trying not to get her hopes up. Suki shook her head.

"He's kind of ruling an entire nation right now," she explained. "As much as taking a break would be a great thing for him, I don't see it in the cards." Toph swallowed hard, realizing she would be on the trip with _two_ couples.

"Oh...wow that sounds super exciting and stuff, really it does," she said, backing away. "But, I already have so much work to do. Can't leave the lilly livers alone for more than five seconds around here." She began to head back to her students, up the stairs. "Besides...sight seeing? Not exactly my thing."

Suki and Sokka frowned, following her. "You should try to take some time off. You're becoming a workaholic."

Toph chuckled. "Please. Just look around you. Whipping little pigeons into shape is what I _do. _There is nothing I would rather be spending my hours doing." She turned around to face her sweating, untrained students. "You call that working? You're barely puffing! Twenty more reps! Let's go, birdies! Flap those wings!" She smiled and crossed her arms. "See? I'm completely swamped here." Suki and Sokka watched as the students fell on top of themselves in excruciating agony and cringed.

"Maybe it's not you who needs the break..." Suki mumbled.

"As much as I would love to sit around and listen to you lovebirds make oogles at each other all day long," Toph grinned sarcastically. "These pansies can't afford even a day of absence. Sorry guys, maybe some other time." Suki exhaled deeply.

"Let me handle this," Sokka reassured. He slipped past the his girlfriend right next to Toph. He lifted his eyebrows, surprised at how much taller she had gotten even in the last year. "Ahem. Wow. These benders really know how to pack a punch, huh?"

Toph smirked. "They are being trained by the best."

"You know, it's too bad they haven't had any time to learn how to practice by themselves." He lifted his arms and placed them over his head. Toph stopped, cold.

"By themselves? Are you kidding? They wouldn't last an hour."

"Maybe not," Sokka said, tiptoeing across the dojo. His arms still sat behind his head as he examined each student. "But if I were taking a class for this long, I would get really good at practicing when the teacher was around...but when they left pffft..." he made a farting sound with his lips. "All that practice and skill, gone."

Toph's face fumed. "Excuse me? My metal bending academy is the best earthbending school in the nation!" she grimaced. "Students leave my class with discipline!"

"Really? So someone has graduated the academy?"

Toph froze. "Of course not!" Sokka gave a knowing smirk. "Don't do that. I know what you're doing and you better stop it right now before I shove this boulder up your butt."

Sokka pouted. "No! Really! Your students will be better off if you give them the chance to practice without a teacher! It'll be good for them! I promise!"

"Forget it, Sokka. I'm not going to the beach with you." She walked over to one of the students. "Arms straight, Ping Pong!" she said, grabbing a metal stick and poking the kid with it. Sokka appeared behind her, hands behind his back. "What?" she asked, turning around. Sokka put on his best puppy-dog pout, looking like he was on the verge of tears. Toph cocked an eyebrow. "You know, I'm sure whatever you're doing to get me to change my mind wouldn't work even if I _could _see it." She marched away then, leaving Sokka feeling stupid as ever. Suki came over, chuckling.

Toph suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around, sensing that it was Suki this time. "Listen, Toph. Sokka really wants you to come with us."

The young earthbender drummed her fingers on her arm. "How badly?"

"Um...very very badly," Suki tried to explain.

"...enough to let me burry his face in the sand?"

"I...think so."

"No!" Sokka chimed in. "No! No! NO! You are not getting near my face!"

"Done!" Toph announced, casually.

"NO- Wait, so is that a yes?" Sokka asked gleefully.

She swung her foot down, hitting the solid rock and sending it flying towards a gong in the corner of the room. The abrasive sound shook the dojo as the students dropped to the floor in exhaustion. She cleared her throat. "Listen up!" she projected across the room. "I'm going on a vacation for a couple days! Don't think this means you can get away with anything! I want you all in tip top shape when I get back!"

"You're leaving, now?" one of the students asked.

"Yes, but don't worry. I'll be back to whip your butts another day, little dandelions. In the meantime practice your basics. Don't kill anyone. I'll be back the day after the solstice." Toph said. "DISMISSED!" The rest of the students stood up and bowed to their master before hitting the creek for a bath. Toph readjusted her bun and scratched her head. "Well, what are we waiting for! Let's hit it!"

Sokka looked at Suki, giving her a hostile stare. "She is not burying my face in the sand."

Suki chuckled. "It's just a little dust. I'm sure it won't be that bad."

"Speak for yourself," Sokka groaned. "We had to make it a surprise! Hey! I have an idea! Let's surprise Toph and make fools out of ourselves while doing it! Yeah...that's a great plan. Who was the genius who came up with that?"

"That would be you, Honey," Suki giggled. Sokka quickly shushed her.

"Kay, can we keep the oogles and the honey and the sweetie-pateety stuff to a minimum on this trip?" Toph complained. "I feel enough like a third wheel as it is."

Suki blushed. "Sorry."

"My statement still stands," Sokka whined.

"Aww, don't feel bad, Sokka," Toph said, giving him a firm punch in the arm. "I would have exploited you whether it was a surprise or not."

"Thanks. I feel so much better now," Sokka grumbled.

"No problem, Buddy!" she said triumphantly. This was exactly what she needed. Sure, she would have to deal with the lovey-dovey voices of her friends, but it was worth it. It was the first time they would all be together again. And as much as Toph liked to pretend she didn't care about being alone, it was nice to be reminded that she didn't always have to be that way. Her friends were a better family than her real family. For that, she owed them at least a couple days out of the year. It only seemed fair. And if that meant she could torment them along the way, well, that wouldn't be so bad either.


	2. One Jump Ahead

**Avatar: The Last Airbender (c) Nickelodeon/ Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko**

_CHAPTER ONE: One Jump Ahead _

"Turanamo!" Aang exclaimed, jumping off the large cliff. He dived into the water, using his waterbending to make the waves much higher than a normal jump. Toph, having heard the wave, quickly made an earth-over for herself, dumping the water all over Sokka and Suki instead, who were nuzzling right next to her. Aang popped up from the water, a guilty expression plaguing his face. "Oops. Sorry guys."

"Hey. No problem. I love having the only outfit I brought along soaked to the brim," Sokka droned, wringing out his wet shirt. "Thanks a lot, Toph." Suki laughed, unaffected by the dampness of the wave.

"What are you blaming me for?" the blind earthbender replied with a smirk. "I wasn't the one who caused the giant splash here. I didn't even see it coming." Sokka's face grew hot while he made grabbing gestures towards Toph's head. "Nice work, Twinkle Toes!"

"A little water never hurt anyone," Katara said, having been wading in the water Aang dove into. She turned back to her boyfriend. "Hey! Aang! Check this out!" She quickly conjured up a large amount of water until she was completely surrounded with it. She then inserted herself into the ball, allowing her hair to fly all around. Aang stared at her with awe.

"Wow," he said blushing. "You look just like a mermaid!"

"More like a sea cow," Sokka joked, nudging Toph in the arm.

"I think she's a jellyfish. Looks harmless, but if you get too close...zzz!" She replied, pretending to shock Sokka with her fingers. Three years and their relationship really hadn't changed at all. Sokka was grateful for that.

"Ooh! Ooh! Or a clownfish!" Suki tried to jump in. Sokka gave her a confused look. Suki's face began to grow red. "You know...because she's...a clown?"

"Honey, you really _really _need to stop," Toph said as politely as she could. Katara released her bubble and let the water fall back into the sea.

"The diving will be even better when we get to the beach tomorrow!" Aang said. "That's when we'll really get to see the flying fishopotamus!"

Toph cocked her head to the side "A flying fisho-whata-huh?"

"The flying fishopotamus! It's going to be so incredible!" He ran over and gave Katara a hug. "Not as incredible as my Sweetie!"

Katara blushed. "Oh, stop it," He kissed her on the lips as she giggled.

"Oh _please_," Toph relented. "Save it for the fishopotamus, right Sokka?" She felt her friend snuggling close to his girlfriend, making googly-eyes at her.

"I love you more," he whispered.

"No, I love _you _more," she said getting closer to him. Toph blew her bangs out of her face in annoyance.

"No, seriously. I love _you _more," Sokka said again, rubbing his nose against Suki's.

"And I hate you all," Toph mumbled with disdain. Getting used to Sokka's girlfriend wouldn't have been so difficult if they weren't so frustrating to be around. She placed a palm leaf over her head and lay back into the sun. She loved the way it felt on her skin. It warmed her, like a hot stone on a rocky path. She never felt a fear of being burned, perhaps because her fear of heat wasn't as great as others in the group. Air and water didn't always gel well with the hot sun. Earth was durable, so therefore she was as well.

"Did you guys see the flyer for the market in town?" Suki asked. "It's supposed to be close by. I was thinking about going and getting some fresh fruit for our beach trip tomorrow."

"That sounds great!" Katara said, squeezing the last bit of water out of her hair. "I was going to start setting up camp. Aang, did you want to help?"

"Of course!" he said. "Always happy to do my share."

"Sokka, did you want to come with me to the market?" Suki asked. She watched as her boyfriend poked a nearby crab laying upside down with a stick, repeatedly.

"Look guys! It keeps trying to get up, but it can't! So cute..." he announced. Suki then looked at Toph, who by the look of things was fast asleep.

"I guess I'll just go by myself, then." She began putting on street clothes. "Let me know if you guys want anything in particular."

A bright light shone down as Toph's palm leaf was removed from her face. She didn't scream, just groaned from the overexposure. "Katara, it's called a _vacation_. I thought that's what we were here to do."

Katara looked down at her friend. "I know, but I think it would be a good idea for you to go with Suki to the market."

Toph cocked an eyebrow. "Miss Fanny Pants? Why?"

"You've known each other for three years and never really talk. Don't you think it's about time you got to know each other?"

"You just said we've known each other for three years," Toph responded flatly.

"You know what I mean. You two should talk. Hang out. Learn more about one another. You might become closer friends." Toph frowned, not very interested in the idea. "I know it would mean the world to Sokka," Katara added. Toph flinched. She had to pull that card. But deep down, Toph knew she was right. There was a very high chance that this Suki girl wasn't going to go away. She and Sokka might even get married one day. She shivered slightly at the thought. But no matter how she felt, she would have to deal with little miss perfect at some point. It may as well be while she has the tolerance.

"Sure," she said begrudgingly.

"Great!" Katara exclaimed. "Hey! Suki! Wait up!" She ran after the Kyoshi warrior, dragging Toph behind her. "Toph wants to come with you to the market!" Suki stared at Toph in utter bewilderment.

"Y-you do?" she asked.

"Want to, feel obligated to, whatever you want to call it," she said snarking.

"Toph!" Katara whispered with deep concern in her voice.

"I mean, no. I really want to help you pick out fruit or whatever," Toph interjected again. "It'll be...an experience..."

"Well, okay then!" Suki said, not phased at all by Toph's apathy. "We better head out before it starts getting dark." Toph swallowed. This was certainly going to be an experience.

Toph followed Suki down the long line of shops. Toph hated shopping for things. She would rather spend her time trying to get money than spending it. But at least the smells and sounds were interesting enough to keep her occupied. She walked next to Suki, who she tried desperately to stay attentive for. _Come on Toph, _she reminded herself. _It's for Sokka. _But more Suki tried to tap into Toph's brain, the more irritated she became.

Suki attempted to make small talk with the young girl, but failed miserably every time. She just didn't know how to deal with someone so closed off. She knew she had to get her to like her somehow. Just because she saved her life three years ago on the day of Sozin's comet didn't mean Toph was obligated to like her. In fact, it meant just the opposite, that she saw her as a threat. She knew how seriously Toph took her bending, and how much effort it took to gain her respect.

She tried again, unsure of how well the conversation would go this time around. "What kind of fruit do you think we should get?" Toph shrugged nonchalantly.

"Doesn't make a difference to me."

Suki gulped. "Well, what do you usually like?"

"Just anything's fine." She couldn't take it. How did Sokka do it? He could get this rock to laugh and smile, even blush from time to time. She knew there was a person deep down underneath all that hardness, she just had to find her. She was determined to get Toph Beifong to smile at least once by the end of the evening. But that task was easier said than done.

"I'm really glad you decided to come with me. This will be nice. Just us girls hanging out!" She smiled.

"Yeah."

They walked a little further as Suki tried to actively remain in conversation. "So...Toph...what do you do for fun?"

Toph's eyebrows flattened. "For fun?"

"Well, sure. I really only know one thing about you and that's that you're an earthbender."

"The _best _earthbender in the world..." Toph corrected. Suki blinked awkwardly.

"Right. But what else do you do?" There, Suki thought. That had to be a good enough question. Maybe they had something in common.

"...I don't really do anything else." Suki could feel her jaw hit the floor. That was the last answer she expected to hear.

"Y-you're kidding. Come on, you can't just earthbend all day. You have to have some hobbies. Things you do outside of fighting. Do you play games or write poems, make music?"

Toph shook her head. "Nope."

Suki sighed. "Oh. I see." Toph could feel the energy change. She knew Suki was trying to reach out to her, so she tried to explain herself. But she didn't want to lie just to keep the conversation going.

"What I mean is, when you spend all of your life doing one thing...that one thing becomes your life. So even if I wanted to take a break from earthbending, I couldn't. It's not what I do, it's how I live. I wouldn't be able to do anything without it, so in a way I kind of owe it everything. My time, my attention, my admiration."

Suki's eyes widened. "I guess I didn't think about it like that."

"So that's why I don't do anything else. I don't need to. Earthbending is my life blood. It brings me purpose. That's why I'm the best." She grinned. "It's not because I'm egotistical, that I say that. It's because I know that no matter how hard someone trains or however many hours they sweat, they don't depend on it like I do. So I have to be the best. I feel like if I wasn't...then being blind would just be a curse."

The girls continued to walk in silence after that. Suki began to beat herself up for hounding Toph with questions. Finally after a while, Toph spoke again.

"But I do enjoy playing pranks on people," she said breaking the stillness. "They always make the funniest noises when someone pulls a fast one on em! Haha!"

"Do you want to pull a prank on someone?" Suki said, excitedly. "I'd be up for that!"

Toph scratched the back of her neck. "Yeah...I'm not so sure that's a good idea. Last time someone said that to me it didn't turn out so well."

"Oh...alright then," Suki went back to being subdued.

"But if you ever want to pull one on your boyfriend, let me know. His reactions never get old!"

Suki grinned. "It's a deal." She picked up a basket from a nearby stand. "Come on. I'm starting to get hungry." Toph flashed a wide smile her direction. Maybe Sokka's girlfriend wasn't going to be such a pain after all. They walked past a series of carts selling exotic fish and fresh bread. Suki mentioned that there were some paintings being sold at the market as well, which didn't interest Toph in the slightest for obvious reasons. Toph suddenly felt some strange vibrations coming from the corner of one of the carts, as though someone were watching. But when she turned around, the sense was gone.

"Something wrong?"

Toph quickly wrote it off, knowing that if anyone tried to take advantage of them, they would end up bruised and beaten anyway. She couldn't trouble herself to worry about amateurs.

"Nope! All good here!" Still they way the vibrations felt bothered her. They were direct, task oriented. _Whatever, _she thought. _If they try to mess us up, we'll just have to mess them up first. _

"Feel this and tell me if it's ripe." Suki handed the fruit to her friend.

"Ugh," Toph recoiled. "Yeah it is. But what would you put with it?"

Suki froze. "What do you mean, put with it?"

"Well, you don't eat kabosu a la cart. Unless you want your face to shrivel like a prune!" Toph made a face at Suki, rolling her eyes into her head and sucking in all of her air. Suki swallowed hard, embarrassed.

"Oh."

"That's not to say no one does, though." Toph put it back on the cart, walking to the section next to it. She reached up and picked up another fruit, smelling it before handing it to Suki. "You don't do this very often, do you?"

Suki frowned. "Back on Kyoshi, it's the men who typically do the cooking. They hunt and gather, then prepare whereas the women protect the island."

"In that case, let's just stick to a nice mangosteen for now." Suddenly, an idea popped into Toph's head. "Hey, remember that prank?" she said, picking up a green spiky fruit. "I just came up with a great one."

"Okay! I'd love to pull a prank with you!" Suki said excitedly. At last, something to prove herself. Toph whispered the plan into Suki's ear. "Oh that's bad. That's really really terrible. I love it!"

"We gotta keep them in your basket. If I give him anything he might get suspicious."

"You got it." Suki grabbed the fruit from Toph and slipped it in her basket, while Toph grabbed a gac fruit with a similar exterior and placed it right next to it. She was grateful her sense of smell was good enough to tell the difference even with the thick skin. The thing was huge and took up most of the space, so Toph had to pick up another basket to carry the rest of the food in.

Toph picked out one last pitaya and stuffed it in her basket. _Benefits of being the one to pick out the food, _she thought to herself. Suddenly she could feel the vibrations again, the same ones as before. She closed her eyes, to pick up the sense. It seemed to be getting closer, from above.

"Did you want to pick up some fish too?" Suki asked. Toph shushed her as she dragged her foot around the ground. "What? Did you sense something?"

"Yeah..." Suddenly Toph felt something drop to the ground that felt like a stone. There was a rustle and suddenly the vibrations were right next to her. She turned around, but it was too late. The man they belonged to had already run off. _But still...those vibrations, _she thought. Toph quickly reached into her basket and noticed that the pitaya she picked out for herself was gone. Suki watched as a figure dressed in black disappeared above the rooftops.

"Hey! Come back here!"

"Hold this!" Toph said, shoving the basket in Suki's arms. "I'll get him."

"Are you sure? It'd be faster if I helped you!"

"No! You stay here and watch the food! I won't be long!" Toph took off, running in the direction she saw the thief go. Suki sighed as she watched Toph use the earth to propel her faster. It was truly impressive what that fifteen year old girl was able to do. Even when she was twelve, Suki was always amazed by Toph.

"Hey, Lady. You gonna pay for that?" The fruit vender said, giving Suki a glare.

"Oh...right. Sorry."

After only a hundred feet, Toph could pick up the vibrations again. She flinched, knowing that no matter what she would have to catch up to him. She lifted herself up onto the rooftops where she knew he was going to gain speed on her. Finally, she was close enough to where she could sense what his next move would be. He jumped from rooftop to rooftop, landing finally on top of a wooden roof. Toph followed, but her ability to float on as he did wasn't as strong, so she crashed through the cart, landing in a pile of cabbages.

"My cabbages!" the man running the cart shouted. Toph expelled air in annoyance as she heard the thief laugh. She smirked, standing up and earthbending her way toward him. "Wait! Stop!"

The laughter stopped as Toph fired skewers of stalagmites at what she now recognized to be a young boy, only two years older than she was. He dogged them effortlessly, flipping up and climbing a walled building back onto a roof. Toph fired the skewers all the way up the wall of the building, using them to climb it herself when they failed. She reached the top, she couldn't feel him anymore. She felt around for any sign of a pulse. A determined glare crossed her face. There was no way she was going to lose him. Just then, she came up with a plan. If she couldn't catch up with him, she would beat him to the other side using a different route. Toph jumped down from the roof, using a rock to slide down from the top to the floor. She then conjured a giant earth ball under her feet and rolled herself like a bowling ball down the street, hoping to catch up to the thief.

It wasn't long before his vibrations were picked up again, and the earthbender turned herself to head towards what looked to be a bridge by the bay. The thief ran to the edge, knowing he was caught. He stood his ground as Toph got off of her ball. As he turned around, Toph could sense he was wearing a mask.

"Jeez, you tore up the whole town!" he complained. Toph growled, moving her foot to the side. The earth moved forward as the boy fell to his butt.

"I'm persistent," she replied. A rock shot him up from under his bottom, causing the pitaya fruit to go flying in the air. It landed firmly in Toph's hands as she smirked, knowing she had won. The boy landed back in his original position, so Toph moved the earth under his feet in opposite directions, causing him to fall again.

"Or maybe just stubborn..." he muttered under his breath. Toph walked up to him slowly, spitting to the side as she did. The boy, however, did not feel frightened despite her menacing look.

"Either way, I still win." She reached over and tore off his mask. "So, do you know how much trouble you're in, or am I going to have to spell it out for you?"

"You know, for some of us, stealing is a necessary evil," he said casually.

"Stealing? I don't care about stealing!" She grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.

Suki ran in, panting and carrying the two baskets. "Toph! Oh...you found-"

"Nobody, _nobody_ runs away from me! Got it?" Toph shouted as she shook the boy. She pulled him close, towards her face until their noses were touching. The boy gulped, beginning to feel a tinge of fear and guilt. "Nobody." She hovered there for a moment before flinging her arms around him in a tight embrace. Suki's face looked like she had just been pricked by a needle as she looked on in utter bewilderment. Toph quickly realized how long she had been holding him and pulled away from the boy, a large blush on her cheeks. She punched him hard on the arm. He took it better than most, but still winced slightly from the bruise he knew he would have the next day. "Sup, Kamikaze?"

"Toph Beifong. It's been a while, hasn't it?" the boy said, ruffling his hair.

"Too long. I almost forgot what you looked like!" she teased.

"You? You never forget a face," he chimed in, jokingly. The two shared a laugh. Suki could see him clearly now. He was medium height with thick brown hair that spiked slightly. He was thin, but toned in every way. Suki almost caught herself blushing, he was much more attractive than she imagined he would be. Though, usually she wasn't interested in younger men.

"Um...hi. Suki here...incredibly confused," Suki said, raising her hand slightly.

"Oh, sorry," Toph said, realizing she left her in the dark. "Suki, Kamikaze. Kamikaze, Geisha...I mean Suki."

"Hi, I'm _Kazuhiro_. Kazuhiro Tatsumaru. Don't worry, she gives everyone nicknames." Suki took his hand hesitantly. "It's kind of a compliment."

Suki frowned. "Geisha is a compliment?"

Toph shrugged. "It's better than Meathead or Twinkle Toes. I'd take it if I were you."

"Huh," Suki cocked her head to the side. "Why Kamikaze then?" Kazu flashed a toothy smile and shrugged. Suki turned back to Toph, incredulously. "So...you _know _the guy who stole from our basket?" she asked. "Why doesn't this surprise me?"

Kazuhiro laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck again. "Yeah...sorry about that. I'm not _really _ a thief. Not at the moment anyway. It was just a little prank, that's all. I didn't steal anything from you, I promise."

"A prank huh?" Suki grinned. "Well, you could have fooled me. Your dexterity is incredible."

"He's just a big show off. But there was no way he was gonna get this-" Toph then remembered the fruit and noticed that it wasn't in her hand. "Huh? Where'd it go?!" She moved her foot around. "I don't feel it anywhere!" Kazuhiro looked over the bridge as a guilty expression creeped onto his face. Suki walked beside him.

"Um...Toph?" she said, peering over the water to see the fruit bobbing up and down in the salty ocean. Toph stood next to her, leaning over the side of the bridge.

"Oops"

Toph sighed. "Will somebody _please _tell me what I'm supposed to be looking at for once! Sheesh. _DON'T YOU REALIZE I'M BLIND!" _

"Calm down," Kazuhiro said. "I was just about to explain it to you."

"Well, you were a little slow on the get-go!" Toph grumbled.

"You dropped the pitaya in the river," Suki finally said. "It's bobbing up and down. I didn't even know fruits like that floated."

"Awww." She held onto the railing. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go in and get it!" Toph shouted toward Kazuhiro. "I paid money for that!"

"What? No. Go get it yourself!"

"Are you crazy? You know I can't swim!"

"Still?"

"Yes! So you have to get it!"

"Why me?"

"Because it's your fault I dropped it!" Toph punched him hard in the arm. Kazu took the punch, before watching Toph fold her hands together in a pleading motion. "Come on, Kazu. Please?" she pouted.

Kazu sighed. "I'll just buy you another one. One less...soggy."

"But you're poor as dirt!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms.

Kazu furrowed his eyebrows. "I _was _five years ago. I can afford one measly piece of fruit!"

"Well, while you two figure that out," Suki interrupted, taking her baskets. "I'm going back to the market...what's left of it at least." She walked off, feeling for the first time herself like a bit of a third wheel. She wondered if this was how Toph often felt when she and Sokka were together. _This is good though, _she thought happily. _Now maybe Toph won't feel so left out. _

Kazu watched Suki leave, a little guilty of how he was beginning to ignore her. But he couldn't help himself. "Your friend seems really nice," he finally spoke. "Looks like you finally got to leave Gaoling."

"I left to help the Avatar. To end the war," she said in a hushed tone. There was a steel-like undertone beneath every word.

"I know. I've heard all about it! Wow. What a life. Friends with the Avatar!"

Toph nodded. _Being alone with him like this..._she thought to herself. _It's almost too much. _Quickly, she realized she was giving off a negative energy and shot her friend a smile. "Would you...like to meet him?" She asked, already well aware of his answer.

"Meet the _Avatar_? Heck yeah I want to meet the Avatar!"

Toph grinned. "Let's go, then." She started walking as Kazu caught up. "But I want my pitaya first!"

Kazu rolled his eyes. "You really haven't changed at all, have you?"

Toph didn't give him a reaction. "A little...But I'm still the same person." She smirked. "Which reminds me. There's something I'm gonna need you to do for me when we get back to camp."


	3. Anything You Can Do, I Will Destroy You

**Avatar: The Last Airbender (c) Nickelodeon/Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko**

**Kazuhiro Tatsumaru and all other original characters (c) Me**

_CHAPTER TWO: Anything you can do, I will destroy you. _

Katara paced back and forth around the fire, her face pressed into a scowl. Where was Toph? She should have returned with Suki, but was nowhere to be found. Sokka sat next to Aang complaining that there was no real meat on the table while the Avatar just sat patiently waiting for his food. Did none of them care at all?

"I can't believe it! I mean, who would go to a market and not buy meat! It's unheard of!" Sokka whined to his girlfriend.

"I asked if there was anything in particular you wanted!" Suki snapped. "You didn't say anything!"

"Ugh!" the tribesman stood. "You're my girlfriend! I shouldn't have to tell you! You should just do it!"

"Excuse me?" Suki stood up. "It isn't my fault you're ungrateful!"

"Toph was supposed to be with _you! _Why do you want to make me suffer this way?" Sokka reached for his stomach. "I'm going to die of starvation thanks to you!"

"She ran into an old friend! What was I supposed to do?"

"Guys!" Aang said, getting between the two. "Look, I know we're all hungry and are getting impatient waiting for Toph. But we can't let the hunger get to us. We promised we would wait, and that's what we're going to do. It's the honorable option, right Katara?" he turned to his girlfriend respectfully.

"When I get my hands on that little brat I am going to give her such a hard piece of my mind she'll fall over!" she responded, not listening to what Aang had said. The Avatar sighed. _So much for support, _he thought. Suddenly, a rustle was heard coming from a bush, followed by the sound of laughter. The group turned around and watched as Toph walked into the clearing at last. But she wasn't alone, Katara noticed. The rest of the group turned to see Kazu walking right next to her. Sokka froze as he made the connection that Toph's _old friend _was a boy. His nostrils flared.

"So that's when I finally told him the truth," Kazu said as Toph snickered next to him.

"What did he do?" she asked curiously.

Kazu shrugged. "He eventually got over it. Took a while though."

Toph stretched up her arms to greet her friends. Katara, looking at Kazu, decided not to say anything. "Sup people? Someone preparing the grub? Cause I am one hungry Earth Master." Toph plopped down onto the solid earth, leaving an impression. Sokka scurried up to her, staring her right in the eye. He looked at her, then Kazu, and finally back to her, his eyes narrow and his face red.

"Who's this?" he asked.

Toph realized she was being rude and stood up. "Oh yeah. This is Kazu. He's eating dinner with us."

Katara walked up to Kazu, holding out her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I didn't know Toph knew anyone all the way out here."

Kazu grinned. "It's been a long time, that's for sure." He took it, giving it a firm shake.

"I'm Katara."

"Kazuhiro."

Sokka planted himself between Kazu and Katara, his fists clenched. "Hey! No touchy touchy the sister, okay?"

"Sokka, what is your problem?" Katara asked. "Kazu, this is Sokka, my older brother."

He looked him up and down. "So...you're a boy?" He got directly into his face. "I don't like boys."

"Oh. That must be distressful considering you are one..." Kazu replied. "Unless of course you aren't in which case I apologize." The gang all laughed except for Sokka who slouched back towards Suki.

Katara pointed towards Aang. "And this is-"

"The Avatar," Kazu finished her sentence, walking straight past her and kneeling to the ground. He rested his head onto the dirt clearing before the airbender. "It is the greatest honor to be in your presence."

"Oh," Aang blushed, unsure of how to handle the greeting. "Um, thanks friend-of-Toph's."

Toph walked over, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Stop it, Kamikaze. I have to be seen with you in public."

Kazu stood up, readjusting into a proper standing bow as a student would to a master. "Thank you, Avatar, for ending the war with the fire nation." He released his position and looked Aang in the eye. "Words cannot express my gratitude."

Toph smacked Kazu on the back of the head. "Seriously! Cut it out! You're embarrassing me!" she shouted. Kazu turned around, an annoyed expression on his face.

"Toph do you _know _who that is? That is the _Avatar_. I may never have another opportunity like this again!" he protested.

"Yeah, and you're creeping him and me out so sit your tight butt down and let's get to chowing down!" She dragged him to a log and shoved a piece of gac fruit into his mouth.

"Finally!" Sokka shouted, running to join the two in their meal.

"It really isn't a problem," Aang retorted, following them. "It's just been a while since I've been thanked like that."

"Really," Kazu admitted. "I just admire the way you decided to end the war. You could have killed the Fire Lord..." he smiled. "But you let him live. It makes a truly remarkable ta-" Toph shoved more fruit into his mouth.

"You need to shut up before I stick you to the side of a cave," she said. Sokka smiled, wondering if that would get Kazu embarrassed. But his smile soon dissipated as Kazu chortled at Toph's comment.

"You would too, I know it," he replied.

"Sure would," she said, punching him in the arm. Sokka's cheeks grew hot.

"So, boy. Sitting there. With Toph. How did this...this thing happen?" Sokka asked, leaning in skeptically.

"What?" Kazu asked curiously.

"He means how do you two know each other?" Suki clarified.

"I told you, we're old friends," Toph said. She handed Sokka the gac fruit. "You wanna try this?"

"Well yeah but- oh yes thank you," Sokka said, taking the fruit graciously before continuing to glare at Kazu. "Okay but when did you meet? How long have you known each other?"

"It's been five years," Kazu explained. Toph's face was directed towards the ground. "I used to live in Gaoling and we would see each other from time to time."

"We used to sneak out all the time," Toph said with a bittersweet smile. "Back then, it seemed so easy just to leap out of a window and leave the world of the Beifong family behind. I thought that was escape. Real freedom is so much better."

Sokka stopped, realizing how terrible he was being. It didn't matter if it was a boy, which did in fact creep him out. This was one of Toph's first friends, most likely her only friend before she met Aang. "Oh. Well...okay then."

"I admire your honesty and protection," Kazu said. "It's important to be skeptical. I think you and I both know if my intentions were poor, Toph would be more than happy to take care of the situation."

Sokka smiled and took a bite of the fruit. "I'm glad you approve." His eyes widened with amazement. "Oh my sweet seal blubber!" he announced, scarfing the rest of it down.

"Sokka!" Katara shouted. "Save some for the rest of us!"

"But there's only..." he stopped. He tilted his head, noticing a basket over by Toph's feet. Inside, was a green spiky fruit that looked exactly like the gac fruit. "You gonna eat that?"

"Yes!" Toph shouted, knowing what he was talking about. "And don't you go snooping around trying to get a bite! I will feel you and there _will _be consequences!" she snapped. "I'm saving it for the trip tomorrow."

"But Tooooppphhh..." Sokka moaned.

"No!" She crossed her arms. "Now eat your fish like a good little Tribesman." Sokka frowned and grabbed a piece of grilled fish off the fire Katara had prepared.

"All of these fruits are so exotic!" Aang said, taking a bite out of a mangosteen. "I missed Earth Kingdom food."

"Oh!" Kazu reached into a bag around his waist. "That reminds me." He pulled out the pitaya and handed it to Toph.

"Right!" she said, grabbing it from him. She tossed it up and down. "It was a pain in the rear getting this baby." She ran her hand over the front. "It's been so long since I've had one. I've forgotten what it felt like." She made a monster face and growled at Kazu. "Like the scales of a beast!"

"Well, it _is _a dragonfruit," Kazu took it from her, pulling out a curved sword that he kept in his back pocket. He sliced the fruit in half and gave the first half to Toph. She reached in with her hand and pulled out the pulp, licking it off of her fingers. "Though it would be very disrespectful to consume a dragon this way."

"How would one consume a dragon?" Aang asked. "I've seen dragons, they're huge!"

Kazu shrugged. "I suppose you would have to kill them first. People didn't typically hunt dragons for their meat, they hunted them because they were threatened by them." He looked down at the fruit. "If you were to devour a dragon, I'm guessing it wouldn't end very well considering their diet." Toph finished the first half of her fruit and tapped her foot expectingly.

"Aren't you going to eat that?" she asked her friend.

Kazu looked at her curiously. "What? You mean I get to?"

Toph frowned. "Not if you're going to be all pious about it."

Kazu laughed, ruffling her hair. "Thank you for your generosity," he replied half sarcastically before sucking down his half of the meal. She blushed as Sokka sank down in his seat. This boy just wouldn't quit. Old friend or not, he was still going to be skeptical.

The gang finished their meal and soon it was time for bed. Despite Sokka's protest, Kazu was allowed to stay with them until they got back from the beach the next day. Dusk turned to twilight and twilight to night and soon everyone was fast asleep. Everyone except Sokka, who had discovered the lack of meat in the meal made him extremely hungry in the middle of the night. He walked around the campsite looking for other things to eat, but could not find the stash of food meant to be taken to the beach the next day. His stomach grumbled, shaking the very ground he walked on. _What am I going to do? _That's when he remembered. He turned around and looked at the basket next to Toph's earth tent. She wouldn't mind, would she? Not if he bought her another one that looked just like it. She would never know. He smirked, sneaking across the dark path to the Earthbender's tent. He slipped his fingers into the basket and grabbed the fruit, before running off with it like a little girl who stole her sister's favorite toy.

From the bushes, Toph had on a giant grin. She had been feeling him for a while now, looking around for the food she had hidden and listening to him steal away her fruit. It was only a matter of time before she could hear his cries of agony and suffering, a sound she had grown quite fond of. Beside her, she wrapped her arm around Kazu with excitement. This was the first time he was going to watch one of her pranks. Beside him was Suki, who was feeling excited, yet apprehensive about the whole thing.

Sokka at long last used his boomerang to slice open the fruit. It wasn't long before a blood-curdling scream filled the air and Sokka covered his nose for protection. Suki howled with laughter from the bush as her boyfriend ran around, almost hurling because of the smell. Kazu chuckled, pleased with the prank. Sokka ran to the fire and grabbed canteens of water, chugging them as fast as he could.

"So what do you think, pretty sweet huh?" Toph asked Kazu. She stood up and shouted to Sokka. "Hey Meathead! I told you you didn't want to eat that!"

"I hate you so much, Toph!" he shouted, tears falling from his face as he huddled into a fetal position.

Kazu walked over and examined the fruit. "Oh, I see. Red Durian. Nearly indistinguishable in the dark from a gac. Nice."

"Yeah, I'm awesome like that," Toph bragged.

"Yeah but, I mean, this was pretty tame," Kazu explained. "If you _really _wanted something hilarious you should have juiced a couple of the kabosu and replaced the water with it. Then, once the tartness settles you'd hand him another fruit, but fill it with ghost peppers." Toph grinned and blushed as she mentally took notes. "He'd be sick for hours, of course, but it would be worth it."

Sokka's eyes widened. He stood up and marched over to Kazu, his face aflame. "_YOU!_" he shouted, grabbing Kazu by the collar. "It's your fault she does this to me all of the time!"

Kazu cocked an eyebrow. "Well, I can't say she didn't learn from the best."

"Kazu here, is the best prankster the world has ever seen! Isn't that right?" She put her arm around him playfully.

"Sure is. But as to why she's taken to pranking you constantly I am at a loss," he directed towards Sokka. "Maybe it's _you_ who makes it easy." Sokka's face twisted like a kabosu.

"Relax, honey," Suki said. "They're just trying to have a little fun. I think you can let it go. No real harm was done." But Sokka couldn't stop glaring at Toph as she leaped around Kazu like a gazelle.

"You should have seen the scams we did while in the Fire Nation! You would have loved it, Kazu! I pretended to be all helpless and blind during this 'guess where the pebble is' game and used my earthbending to win! Then I pretended to get run over by a bus and _then _I started making some serious money! They gave me a wanted poster and everything! The Runaway! Isn't it perfect? Ahh...I wish you were there." She grinned. "It was incredible."

"So you became a thief?" he asked, half-seriously.

Sokka stepped in. "It was from the Fire Nation, so it wasn't a big deal."

Kazu sighed. "I see." He shook it off and gave Sokka a toothy smile. "Well, as long as you had fun and didn't get caught, I can't say much about it right?"

"Right!" Sokka agreed. Suki nodded, standing next to him.

Toph swallowed hard, feeling the change in energy. "Right."

Toph stared at Kazu as he stared back. The others huddled in a group around them, watching intensely. Sand vibrated beneath their toes on the beach. They both were smirking, confident and insured of their victory.

"You're goin' down, Kamikaze," Toph said, holding up the red pepper.

Kazu rolled his eyes. "You may be stronger than me, Toph Beifong, but you are not tougher."

"You're so sure about that?" she asked.

"If you can't take the heat..." he shrugged. Sokka bit his lip, excitedly rooting for his favorite earthbender to win the battle. Katara, watched distastefully as Aang and Suki covered their eyes in fear.

"Oh, I can take the heat," she replied. They held their peppers out. "On the count of three. One."

"Two."

"Three!" They placed the peppers onto their tongues and closed their mouths. They held them there, his eyes not leaving Toph's and Toph's energy not wavering from his vibrations.

"You're crazy," Katara said. "You're seriously crazy."

"Come on Toph! You can do it! Kick him to the curb! Make him suffer!" Sokka cheered. "I believe in you!"

The two sucked on the peppers for a while before Kazu's throat started to burn. His eyes began to water. Toph could feel he was slipping. Finally he reached for the glass of water in front of him, chugging it. Toph raised her hands in victory.

"THAT'S A WIN!" She shouted, swallowing the pepper. "BOW BEFORE YOUR NEW QUEEN, PEASANT!" She waved her hand as Sokka cheered.

"Kazu, are you okay?" Katara asked. "That was a fire nation chile pepper!"

"I'll be fine, thanks," he said, allowing himself to calm. "Okay, Beifong, that's two to two. We need a tie breaker."

"Okay then. Let me see what I have up my sleeve!" she announced.

"No no. This time it's my challenge," he disagreed. "I have a bet for you, Master Earthbender."

"Greatest earthbender in the _world." _

"Whatever," Kazu said, looking towards the ocean. "You can sandbend?"

"Sure I can. I can make anything and everything out of sand. Is that the challenge?"

"Sort of," Kazu said.

Katara sighed, leaning towards Aang. "You know, when I heard we were going to the beach for the Summer Solstice, I imagined it slightly less vigorous."

"Aw, Sweetie. They're just having a little fun!" He took her hand. "But I think I am beginning to feel a bit left out with those two."

Katara smiled. "I haven't seen Toph smile like that in a long time."

"Shall we make it more interesting?" Kazu encouraged.

"I need to know the bet first," Toph said, crossing her arms. "And I'm not agreeing to anything until I know what it is I'm doing."

"Okay. I bet I can make something out of sand...that you can't."

Toph burst out laughing, unable to control herself. "You're joking!" she shouted. "I had you suck on a ghost chile pepper!"

"So you think I can't do it?"

"Dude, I _know _you can't do it. You can't sandbend at all!" she said between chortles.

"Then you won't mind making it more interesting." Kazu smirked. "Would you?"

"It's your grave. What'll you have, oh master of the embarrassing consequences?" she asked, fake bowing to him.

"If you lose," Kazu thought long and hard for a moment. "You have to act like a proper lady for the entire day tomorrow."

"You're on. And if you lose..." she grinned. "You have to let me give you a haircut."

Kazu blushed. "Toph...you're blind..."

She pulled out the knife, giving him the wild grin of a serial killer. "I _know._" Kazu hesitated.

"Come on! Don't be a chicken!" Sokka shouted. "Take the bet! Take the bet!"

Kazu held out his hand to Toph who responded in kind. They both spit on them before shaking which grossed out Suki.

"Alright. You need to make something out of sand. The most elaborate sand-sculpture imaginable! Are you ready?" Sokka asked, rubbing Toph's shoulders.

"I was born ready!" she shouted.

"Yeah! Now go destroy that boy so hard he never wants to see you again!"

"Wait...what?" Sokka pushed her out onto the beach. Kazu watched, arms crossed, as he saw her move into the sand. "Alright Kamikaze, prepare to be blown away." She focused her energy and concentrated. Suddenly, the image was in her head. She knew what she was going to create. She moved her feet one after the other, scooping and twisting the sand underneath her into a pile. When all the grains were in place, she released them, allowing the ones she didn't need to fall effortlessly to the ground. Left behind was an enormous sculpture of herself.

"Yeah! Take that! That's mah girl, Toph! Wipe out the competition!" Sokka screamed, chest bumping the girl. She turned to Kazu.

"I suggest you give up, Kamikaze. It's a suicide mission now. Anything you give me, I can make out of sand."

Kazu closed his eyes and presented a satisfied smile. "You just love to win, don't you?"

"Um, duh?" Toph said, running over to meet him. "Nothing's better than winning!"

"That'll only make it all the more tragic when you lose," he tossed over his shoulder. "Come on. Gather some sand you want me to use and come with me." Toph cocked her head to the side, but did as he said. The others followed suit, although at this point Sokka was the only one still invested in the competition.

They walked for a while before finally stopping at a little seaside shack. Kazu opened the door and allowed them all inside. The place was old, with pillars of wood barely holding up a ceiling. He held out his hand.

"Can I see the sand, please?" Toph handed him a bag of sand she had collected, still curious and a bit skeptical about the whole thing. Katara, Aang and Suki looked around the shop. There were beautiful beaded necklaces and earrings everywhere. A kind neither of them had seen before. "Feel free to look around."

"Is this where you live?" Suki asked.

"Yeah, kind of. This is Mr. Morikami's sand crystal studio." He walked to the back room with the sand, slipping on an apron.

"Sand crystal?" Sokka asked. "What is that?"

"Guess we're going to find out," Suki replied.

Kazu popped his head back out. "The fire is ready. You can come in and watch if you like." The group turned their heads towards each other and followed the boy into the studio. They walked in to see what looked like a wood fire oven next to a set of blacksmith tools. Toph noticed a significant change in temperature. Sweat began to pour down her face as she tried to gain her confidence. But as soon as she felt the heat she knew he had tricked her. She was going to lose.


	4. Menagerie

**Avatar: the Last Airbender (c) Nickelodeon/ Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko**

**Kazuhiro Tatsumaru and other original characters (c) Me **

_CHAPTER THREE: Menagerie _

It took a good while before the fire was so hot it began melting the sand. After it reached it's liquid state, Kazu used a long pipe to stir it and gather a ball of the molten sand at the top of it. From that point, he blew into the pipe, expanding the liquid into a larger ball. Toph could feel what was happening, and stood in awe with her other friends.

"Mr. Morikami used to travel all over the world," Kazu explained as he molded the liquid. "He discovered this technique from a group of sandbenders deep in the desert. It was this massive civilization with tall buildings made of stone. He said it was incredible."

"Mr. Morkikami?" Katara asked, her eyes still fixated on the process.

Kazu nodded. "He owns this shop. He brought back beads to trade with other Earth Kingdom cities. The women held them in such high demand that he eventually learned the trade. Then he combined it with the painting techniques he learned from the tapestries in Ba Sing Se. No one else had ever heard of this kind of crafting and oftentimes didn't believe him when he explained how he got the material. Not many realize how flexible earth can really be." He looked at Toph and grinned. She could tell he was looking at her and blushed. "Of course," he said, going back to his work. "That's only when it's heated up or eroded by the sea. Like most things, you just have to learn how to work with it."

"So, you make beads for women, huh?" Sokka asked. That was perfect and boring, he thought. Toph would never be interested in something like that. Then again, that meant he was constantly around other girls. "Do you enjoy this job?"

"I guess," Kazu said turning the molten sand and turning it with a sculptor. "Jewelry has never been my passion." He smiled. "Still, it's a humbling process."

"Humbling? How so?" Suki asked. Kazu placed the glob back into the fire, as it was beginning to cool down.

"The earth is eroded by the ocean, creating sand. Then the sand is heated by fire until it becomes like the water, and then it is the air that shapes it. In it's natural state, it is transparent like the wind, but when you add color," he reached over and drizzled the ink onto the ball. "It can be vibrant like the flame it was born in." He took the stick out of the fire and set it down to cool. "My master said that things like this prove that nature itself is balanced. Each element serves it's purpose, each respects each other in it's natural form." He grew quiet for a moment, his eyes fixated on his piece of art. "All are dependent on one another. And for sand crystal, if one element is in higher control, the entire thing falls apart."

"One element is no better than another," Katara mused.

"Except, you know, Earth," Toph said with a cocky smile.

Kazu simply rolled his eyes. "Right." He stretched up, reaching towards the ceiling. "It's going to take a while for it to cool. In the meantime you can all look around the shop. I'm sure you'll find something you like. And if you're Toph..." He winked. "Then I guess you'll just have to be bored."

Toph scowled. "You're a jerk, Kazu."

"You're only just now noticing?" he rebutted. A ring was heard coming from the front. A middle-aged woman walked in, holding a bag. She looked around, wondering what to do.

Kazu walked up to her with a warm greeting. "Hello, Mrs. Hao. What can I do for you today?"

The woman smiled back. "Oh Kazuhiro! The place looks wonderful. I'm glad you were able to fix it."

"Fix it?" Toph asked. Kazu ignored her comment.

"Me too. Mr. Morikami would have been awfully sore if I hadn't," he joked.

The woman sighed. "I'll admit, I haven't been back here in a while. I do hope business is treating you well."

"Just the same as usual." He removed his apron and set it on the counter. "Anything I can get for you?"

"I want to get my daughter a necklace. She's been asking for the jade one but it's simply too expensive. I'm glad you're still open, otherwise I'm not sure what I would have done."

Toph grumbled. "Get the girl a bird or something."

"Is there an occasion?" Kazu asked.

"Oh, just a nice young man who has been taking an interest in her," Mrs. Hao said, peering around to see the jewelry.

"Well, I guarantee you he'll never have seen anything quite like these."

"I hope you're right." She looked around before finally selecting the necklace she wanted to buy. She paid Kazu a significant amount. "You need to find yourself a nice girl, Kazuhiro. Out of the many you've seen come and leave this shop, there must be one to your liking." Toph's cheeks began to burn when she heard that. _No. Not Kazu too_. He was fine the way he was without going crazy over some girl. "You're too good of a boy not to be taken care of."

"Thanks, Mrs. Hao but I'm okay, really."

The woman nodded, slightly worried. "Alright dear. If you say so." She began to head out the door. "And give my respects to Mr. Morikami, will you?"

Kazu tried to paint on a smile, but Toph could sense that comment troubled him. "Of course. Have a great day." Mrs. Hao left with her necklace as the gang entered the front room once more. Toph walked next to him, her eyes dull.

"You know, she's right," she said softly. "You should find a nice girl..." Kazu looked at her curiously, his cheeks turning pink. "That way your life can be just as boring as you want it!" she shouted with a grin. "You can have a boring job with a boring little wife and three to seven boring children running around doing way more exciting things than you!" She blew the hair out of her face. "Honestly, Kazu. What have you been doing with your life? Making jewelry is so lame."

"Well, not all of us get to travel around the world with the Avatar, do we?" he mocked back.

"So," Sokka said looking around. "Where is this Morikami guy? Is he on vacation?"

Kazu shook his head. "No he..." he looked down at the floor. "He's no longer with us."

"I'm so sorry," Katara gave her condolences. "He sounded like a very wise man."

"He was. He tried to see the good in everything, even in times of crisis. Up until his last few moments he was filled with empathy." Kazu scratched the back of his neck. "But that's just the kind of guy he was. Always had a great sense of humor too, so we got along great."

"Kazuhiro..." Toph said under her breath. The way the vibrations felt around him didn't give her a good feeling.

"But I've been fine on my own. It's been rough, but with everyone being so supportive I'm sure I'll manage somehow. Anyway, it's a good store so you should all look around and tell me what you think." The group expanded, checking out the different areas around the store. Toph, however stayed put and tugged Kazu's shirt.

"Hey, can we talk?" she asked quietly.

Kazu froze. "Sure. What's up?"

Toph shook her head. "Not here." She gripped him by the arm tightly and pulled him away from the group. Sokka watched as she dragged Kazu down a set of stairs to the basement.

"Hey! H-hey!" Sokka shouted.

"Sokka!" Suki said, distracting him by grabbing his hand. "Don't you think these are just gorgeous?! I would love something like this." She held up a beautiful green sand crystal necklace.

"Yeah that's great, Suki." He looked around frantically, but couldn't find Toph or Kazu. "Where did they go?!"

"Oh, Sokka. You're too hard on her. Let Toph have her fun."

Sokka's face inflated like a balloon. "No! There will be no fun having! The fun is done! Toph is not allowed to have fun with boys!"

Suki sighed, realizing it was hopeless. She had to distract him some other way. Toph would be grateful for that, she thought. Then she would finally be able to get on her good side. "Hey! Is that a sand-crystal shaped like a cabermooselion?" she shouted.

"WHERE?!" Sokka jumped up searching the area until he spotted something else that caught his eye. Suki smirked. _Works every time. _

Toph felt her way down into the stairs, Kazu dragged behind. "Toph! Toph just because _you_ can sense where everything is doesn't mean I can!" he shouted. Toph ignored him and kept walking until they reached the bottom of the stairs. Kazu took a match and lit a candle at the top of the room, revealing a collection of glass sculptures. "There. Now we can both know what's around us."

"That woman who came in here earlier. What was she talking about?"

Kazu chuckled. "What? You shouldn't be surprised by our female clientele. I mean, most girls enjoy things like jewelry...and you know...shoes..."

"That's not what I meant!" she snapped, shoving him. "Did you really have to rebuild the shop?"

Kazu looked at her and sighed. "Yeah, but it's fine." She glared in his direction. "Really. I don't want you to worry about it."

"Did something happen?" Silence. "Kazuhiro!"

"No."

Toph grimaced, sensing his vibrations. "You're lying. Why would you do that? You know I can always tell!" She walked up to him, feeling his heart race. "Your breathing changed when she mentioned your master."

"Toph...I don't..."

"You can tell me. That's why I brought you down here. What happened really?" She waited patiently for him to prepare himself. He stared at her, knowing he couldn't keep it from her any longer.

Kazu sighed, sitting down on the stairs. "Mr. Morikami...was from the Fire Nation." Toph bit her lip.

"...really?"

Kazu nodded. "He was extremely careful about keeping it under wraps, so no one knew. Even after the war ended, he only bent when he was working the crystal. That is...until about a few months ago." Kazu clenched his fists. "I don't know how they found out, but they did. There was a group of earthbenders who came to the shop in the middle of the night. They came in and destroyed everything inside, using boulders to crash down the wooden pillars they couldn't move on their own. All of Mr. Morikami's work was shattered...but that wasn't all..."

"He was killed, wasn't he?" Toph said knowingly.

Kazu nodded. "He was working late on a project when it happened. The attack was so severe that the ceiling fell on top of him. I found him the next morning, but by then it was too late." He looked up towards his friend. "I know what you're thinking."

"So he was murdered..."

"I don't think it was on purpose."

"People don't get murdered by accident," she retorted. "Someone should have done something about this by now."

"What was I supposed to do?" he shot up. "I didn't see what happened, I have no evidence to convict anyone!" His eyes narrowed. "And even if I did discover who it was...confronting them would only cause more trouble."

"Not you...just someone..."

"Getting citizens involved is the last thing I want to do," he thought aloud. "And contacting the authorities is obviously off the table."

"This is serious, Kazu!" she screamed before realizing that they could be heard upstairs. She hushed her tone. "Something could have happened!"

"Toph..."

"They would have killed you just because of the association! It's not beneath them to do something like that! They could still-"

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." He crossed his arms and smirked. "You know that better than anyone."

Her cheeks grew florid. "Yeah...I guess..."

Kazu smiled so wide his eyes practically shut. "What's this? Could it be that Toph Beifong is actually concerned for my well-being? That's so sweet."

"What? In your dreams!" she protested, her face still red.

"You wanted to know the truth, now you do." He stood, walking past her. "But I don't want that to matter."

"...you're not scared?"

Kazu laughed, ruffling her hair. "Me? Scared? Sheesh, Kid. Who do you think you're dealing with?" He took her hand. "Come on. I want to show you something cool."

Toph sighed. "_Show _me?"

"Sure. It still applies." He lead her down the hall, up to the wall. "Place your hand along the edge right there. That's it." He helped her reach over and stroke one of his crystal sculptures. Toph ran her hand down the smooth surface. It was unlike anything she had felt before.

"Wow. It's so smooth."

"Here. Try this one," he said, leading her hand to another section. She felt the vibrations of the room, growing accustomed to the material around her. It was earth, but so delicate that if she attempted to bend it, it would shatter in her grasp. An earth that could be easily broken, she had never heard of such a thing. She couldn't quite get the sense of the shape, but knew it was tall and twisted up in towers of curly q's. The texture was smooth, the ribs in the crystal still long and continuous. What was it? Some kind of flower with a long stem maybe? She didn't know. She walked over to another, stroking it. She felt two bumps equidistant from each other, and lower a longer piece sticking out. Two more cylindrical shapes were directly below it. Toph removed her hand when she touched them. _Lips...so that means..._

"It's a person," she half stated, half asked.

"Yeah, kind of."

Toph's eyebrows flattened. "How is it 'kind of' a person?"

Kazu chuckled. "Okay. It's a person. But not the way one would normally sculpt a person."

"...I am unfamiliar with how people _normally _sculpt other people. This is the first person sculpture I've felt."

She reached down and followed a long piece of crystal down the side until they caught on what felt like a long, bumpy shape that cupped at the end. She slipped her hand into what she imagined to be the crystal hand. She climbed up the base of the statue, taking both hands this time and placing them where she first felt what she now recognized to be the eyes. "Who is it?"

"No one in particular."

"Seriously? Just when I thought you couldn't get lamer..."

"Shut up. This way it can be whoever you want it to be."

"I don't want it to be someone I know! Gross! I'm _touching _their_ face._" Toph spat. Kazu laughed and shook his head. "Don't laugh at me! I can hear you snickering!"

"Then I guess it should be an anonymous person. Don't want you to get paranoid about your intimacy issues." Toph stuck her tongue out at him and continued to feel around the sculpture.

She traced her fingers along the face, touching everything from the nose to the ears. It was as though she were really caressing a human face, but there was no heartbeat, no vibrations besides the natural rumbles of earth. Nothing was alive, yet everything was filled with energy. She could feel the craftsmanship, the precision of detail. If she was only aloud to feel art this way in museums, she would understand it. She touched the top of the sculpture's head, feeling the indentations where the hair should be. Instead of placed on top, it was ingrained inside. She released her hands from the crystal, wondering if all statues were that cold and meticulous.

"Typically, the surface of sand crystal is smooth, depending on how thoroughly the sand is melted," Kazu explained, helping her down off the statue. "Art is usually visual, but I really don't think that's the whole picture. That's what I really like to do with this. To make art accessible to everyone."

Toph busted out laughing. "You, an artist. I never thought I would seethe day."

"Technically, you still haven't yet," Kazu teased. Toph responded with a quick punch in the arm. "But, yeah. Neither did I. I guess life really is unpredictable, even when you think your future is etched in stone." Toph could feel the energy in his body tense. He was pensive about something, and Toph knew what. She figured now would be as good a time to ask than any. The question that had been weighing her down since she first felt him in the marketplace.

"About that...how did you-" Toph began, but she felt Kazu put his hand on hers and shake his head.

"It's been really great seeing you again, and I know you're curious," he said, taking her hand in his and squeezing it. "But for now, can we just be happy hanging out like we used to? Without drudging up all the sap we've collected over the years? Hm?"

Toph leaned back, slightly startled by his response. Though she couldn't say she was shocked by it. Kazu always knew how to avoid a bullet. "You're such a flower sometimes," she muttered, before smiling. "But yeah, sure."

"Great. Cause I think your friends are starting to get worried," he said, releasing her hand and scratching the back of his neck.

Toph scoffed. "They don't care. They probably didn't even notice I was gone," she hissed disdainfully.

"Huh. Well they should be more perceptive then," he said blowing out the light in the room. A dark shadow filled the room as he began to walk up the stairs. "They're too easy of a target."

Toph listened to him step up the creaky stairs. He was so light on his feet she wondered how he could ever make a sound to begin with. Without thinking, she called out to him. "Hey, Kamikaze!" Kazu turned around to face her, even though he knew it didn't make a difference. "I...uh...I actually really like your sculptures. They're pretty...solid. You know, for something made of sand."

"I'm glad you feel that way," he spoke with a jesting tone. "Because you just lost the bet."

Toph slapped herself in the face, realizing that he was right. Kazu disappeared up the stairs. She bent a small rock to her hand and tossed it at Kazu's head, missing once he shut the door. "Kazuhiro, you Butt-Monkey!" she shouted before realizing she was all alone.

"You break it you buy it!" he shouted back through the door.

Toph's face fueled with aggression, but only for a moment. She couldn't stop thinking about the old man who died there in that shop. Maybe the sculpture was supposed to be of him and Kazu was too afraid to admit it. She spat into the corner and groaned. There he went, making her think again. As curious as she was, she was never one to over-think. All that mattered right now was that Kazu was happy in his new life, as boring as it was. As long as he was doing something good, she really didn't have the right to complain. Not that it would stop her any. Still, she knew she wouldn't be satisfied until she had her answers. She would just have to wait patiently and enjoy herself until then.


	5. If You Ain't Got Elegance

**Avatar: The Last Airbender (c) Nickelodeon/ Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko**

**Kazuhiro Tatsumaru and other original characters (c) Me**

_CHAPTER FOUR: If You Ain't Got Elegance _

Toph let out a sigh as she felt her hair get pulled this way and that. She could feel the crinkles in her cheeks deepen from the scowl she had implanted on her face. She could hear the boys chuckling from the other room. They would get it later. She was stupid for falling for such an obvious trick, and now she was paying the price for it. That's all there was to it. _Stupid Kazuhiro and his stupid sand crystal..._she thought angrily. _They're never going to let me live this down. _There was a hard tug on the other side of her hair. She growled.

"Hey! Cut it out, will you?" she snapped. "What are you putting in there? A tree trunk?"

"I'm sorry," Katara's voice rang over her. "I thought you had to be a lady for the day."

Toph pursed her lips. "Fine. But that doesn't mean I have to like it." The yanking stopped after a while. Toph felt a slew of powder pound against her face. She choked it back, making sure none of it got into her throat.

"Is all this really necessary?"

"I'm just fixing your face," Katara said. "Close your eyes"

Toph exhaled, doing as Katara commanded. "I didn't realize it was broken," she muttered under her breath. Katara began applying the makeup to the tips of her eyelids. _It's just for one day, _she thought. _You can get through this. _But it would be a very long day, and she knew it.

"You were the one who took this stupid bet," Katara reminded her.

"And I'm paying for it with every fiber of my being!" Toph complained, flinging her arms up in the air. "I don't know how you stand it! All the primping and the face painting!"

"It's not so different than having a coating of dirt on you all the time," Suki explained, walking in with the dress and shoes they were going to make Toph wear. "The Kyoshi warriors wear face paint as a symbol of our honor and strength. Women wear makeup as a symbol of their pride in femininity."

Toph sneered. "That and to cover up their large pustules," she replied snarlingly. "But I don't _have _that problem! I don't have to look at myself so it doesn't matter what I look like! I don't see why I have to dress up for _Kazuhiro _of all people!"

"Toph, being a lady is about more than just impressing other people," Suki explained, helping Toph into her dress. The earthbender stuck one foot in, then the other before pulling it over her muscular body. "It's about showing respect for your duty and culture. The dress was much tighter than the dresses Toph usually wore, even back at home where she was used to this treatment. Suki cinched up the back, causing Toph to go red in the face from lack of oxygen.

"You may find that without the added pressure from your parents, you might actually enjoy acting a little more civil," Katara said, her hopes getting a little too high for her own good.

Toph scoffed. "Yeah, that'll be the day."

Suki finished tightening the dress and Katara slipped a pair of sandals on Toph's feet. For a finishing touch, they placed a flower in her hair. Backing away, the girls couldn't help but tear up. Katara sighed. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks. I'll take your word for it," Toph said flatly. She waddled out of the room in her fancy shoes. She hated shoes. Everything was disconnected and unstable. Her vision wasn't blurry, but she couldn't focus as well on what was going on around her while trying to figure out the contraptions on her feet. It was like wearing dark eye-shades in the evening. Pointless.

Sokka was the first to burst out laughing when she walked out. This earned him a solid kick in the shin, but he didn't care. This was comedy gold. He wished he was a good enough artist to capture such an event. Aang simply smiled and greeted her, hiding his amusement.

"You look...really nice Toph..."

"Can it, Lady-Fingers. Even in this dress you're still more feminine than I am," Toph said as she waddled towards the door. Aang blushed at the serious blow to his ego. He hoped Katara didn't hear that. Toph waited for Kazu to say something, but he never did. He just stood there in silence. She knew he was there. Why wasn't he talking? Why didn't he say something? What she didn't realize was that the expression on his face wasn't that of awe or bedazzlement. Rather, he tilted his head to the side, as though he were analyzing the situation.

"Huh," he finally let out. The sound infuriated Toph, but she didn't let on. It just wasn't what she was expecting. Then again, she wasn't sure what she was expecting from him. He had seen her dress this way before. It was years ago, but it wasn't like it would come as a shock.

"Check it out, Sokka!" Aang said, nudging his friend. "Someone's speechless..."

This snapped Kazu out of his daze enough to recognize the other people in the room. "What?" Thankfully, the topic wasn't addressed further.

"So, what are you going to do all dolled up?" Suki asked.

"Puke," Toph replied.

"Whatever it is," Katara interjected. "You should get going. We took longer than expected."

"Oh, well..." Kazu thought for a moment. "There's a city not too far from here and an earth train that will take us right to it. I figured a small village like this one wouldn't have a lot of..._proper _things to do." He held out his hand towards Toph. "My lady." He tried to keep a straight face, but the concept finally got to him and he burst out laughing.

"Yeah, whatever..." she took his hand as he escorted her out of his home.

"And Toph!" Katara shouted. "Make sure you _act _like a lady too!"

"Yeah! I got it!" she spat back. Kazu lead her down the path a ways, over to a wooded area by the beach. He was quiet the entire way, leaving Toph uncertain about what to say or do. "Ahem...excuse me?" she said, putting on her best lady-like voice. A pit fell into her stomach. This was so humiliating. "Kazuhiro?"

"Yeah? What is it?"

"You haven't said a thing about my..." she gestured to her dress. "_Lovely _attire."

"Oh. Yeah. It's nice."

Toph frowned. "Nice? I put this stupid thing on! I even wear shoes and you think it's just _nice?" _she stopped herself. "I mean...but I spent all morning preparing just for this occasion." She wanted to punch him. He should have at least made fun of her by now. Wasn't that what the bet was supposed to be about? The pit in her stomach began to grow deeper.

"Yes. It's nice. I'm just not..." he tried to find the words to use. "I'm not used to it, that's all."

Toph growled. "I hear you. I never get used to it."

"You know what I mean." She simply gave him a grimace and decided to let it go. They walked a little ways further before Kazu finally stopped. He held his head in his hands and groaned. "Ugh! I can't deal with this!" He grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the beach. "Come on, we have to fix it."

"Fix what? Is something wrong?" Toph said, trying to keep her delicate demeanor. "Kamik-Kazuhiro!" He tore off a piece of cloth from his back pocket and dumped it in the water. Wringing it out, he sighed, looking Toph in the face.

"Hold still."

"What are you-"

"I can't take it, okay? If I have to look at it all day I'm going to go nuts!"

"What are you talking about?" He took the wet rag and began to rub her face with it. "Hey!"

"I don't get why women in the earth kingdom dress like porcelain dolls..." he finally said. "This is probably the _only _time I will ever see you when your hair isn't directly in front of your face and I can't even see you because of all..._this!_" He dipped the rag in the water again and wrung it out before starting on the other side. Toph stood there, feeling him scrub away the powder on her cheeks.

"What? I thought you wanted to humiliate me," Toph said honestly confused. "Wouldn't dressing me up as a clown do that?"

Kazu's eyebrows scrunched together. "Not when I have to be seen with you in public, no. The idea was to be your escort, not your showman."

Toph sighed. "You're so weird."

Kazu stepped back once he was finished and examined her. Her cheeks were still slightly red from the rubbing, but her natural color was quickly restoring. He brought his head to one side, then to the other, placing hand on his head. Finally he nodded. "Oh yes. That's much better."

"Gee, thanks," Toph grunted ironically. "I'm glad my face is tolerable to look at now."

Kazu frowned. "You're supposed to be acting like a proper lady, remember?" he mused at the idea. "Ladies don't sarcastically insult their escorts."

"They do if they're my mother..." she retorted. Kazu crossed his arms and glared at her, making sure his energy was clear for her to read. "Fine!" She offered her hand to him as he took it, the redness in her cheeks remaining. At this point he couldn't be sure if it was from the scrubbing or something else. He took it and lead her back to the solid ground. Toph distressfully shook the sand out of her shoes. She hadn't been wearing them for all of five minutes and already she wanted to fling them at Kazu's face. _I'll do that tomorrow..._she thought with a smirk.

"So, Milady, shall I attend you to the station? I take it you've ridden on an earth train before, yes?" he mocked.

Toph bit her lip. "Of course," she said through her teeth. _It's not like I lived in high society for years or traveled to Ba Sing Se with the Avatar or anything. _

"Then, let's be off. We have a lot to get through today!" he snarked.

As Kazu lead her away from the beach, Sokka poked out of the bush he had conveniently been hiding in. His face was sour and wrinkled like a prune. _I knew it! _he thought indigently. _He's using this bet thing as a cover...an excuse... _

"Sokka?" A voice said behind him. He leaped five feet in the air before landing face to face with Aang. He looked at him, his wide eyes held in an ardent curiosity. "What are you doing?" Sokka gripped him by the collar of his robe, pulling him into the bush with him. "What? What's going-"

"Shh!" Sokka put his finger over Aang's lips, quieting him. "He might hear us!"

"Who might hear us?" Aang said at his normal volume.

"Shhhhhh!" Sokka shushed him again. "I figured it out, Aang. I know exactly what's going on. Think about it. This kid just _happens _to run into Toph in the market and they just _happen _to know each other. He just _happens _to make a bet with her that forces her to wear a pretty dress and have him escort her over town which she just _happens _to lose._" _

"What's your point?" Aang asked, interrupting him.

"Look at what's happening!" Sokka grabbed Aang's face and twisted it towards the silhouette of Toph and Kazu walking away.

"So?" Aang said as Sokka continued to squish his cheeks.

"It can only mean one thing..." he gulped. He got face to face with Aang once more, expressing his distress. "This isn't a bet! It's a date!"

Aang smiled "You think so?"

"The sneaky little salamander thought he could get away with it. But I saw right through YOU!" he half shouted at Kazu. "I'm sorry, Aang. But there's no other conclusion. That boy tricked Toph into going out with him!"

"I think you might be overreacting. Toph seems to really like Kazuhiro." Aang chuckled. Sokka grabbed him by the robe again.

"_Exactly_!" he shouted.

"Then what's the problem? Kazu's cool."

"Yeah, he's cool _now. _But we don't know anything about this kid! I mean look at how many girls come and leave his store! In that kind of setup how are you _not _a ladies man?"

Aang cocked his head to the side. "Actually, when I talked to him he said that he was always really awkward around girls..."

"That's what he _wants _you to think!"

"Sokka," Aang stood up. "Even if that's true, this is _Toph _we're talking about. All the usual romance stuff probably doesn't even work on her. She'll be just fine."

"No way! As her closest and dearest friend, I can't allow this!" Sokka said standing up. "I have to follow her and make sure she doesn't do something stupid."

Aang sighed. "That's a reallybad idea." Sokka took off running. "Sokka!"

"Tell Suki I went fishing!" Sokka shouted behind him.

"That's a really _really _bad idea!" Aang yelled back.

"Don't worry! She won't even know I'm there!"

"Yes she will!" He tried to catch up to his friend, but realized it was too late. He was going to dig himself his own grave and there was nothing he could do about it. Aang let out an exasperated sigh.

Toph fiddled with her feet under the table. She couldn't slip off her shoes, otherwise Kazu would notice. She couldn't slink down in her seat because that wasn't proper. It had been so long since she had to behave this way, she had forgotten how tedious and difficult it was. The ride over was pleasant enough. Kazu let her get away with a few wise-cracks on the train so long as she placed a feminine giggle after each one of them. This was good, though. She wasn't sure how much time they would have together. And while she was upset she couldn't spend it burring her head in dirt or playing practical jokes on random city-dwellers, she was going to take the advantage and use this opportunity to spend as much time with Kazu as possible. She was amazed that in the five years they had been apart, nothing had really changed. He was much calmer than before, and more concrete with his words. Toph wondered if that was because he felt comfortable where he was now.

Kazu watched his friend as she played with her feet. He couldn't help but chortle at the sight. It didn't matter how quiet he made it, she could always tell when he was laughing at her. Finally he leaned back into his seat, picking up the menu. "You know," he said flipping the page. "You don't have to wear those if you don't want to."

Toph's face grew livid at first, but she didn't make a scene. Instead she smiled and daintily kicked off the sandals into another couple's food, splattering their soup all over the table.

"I thought you might feel that way," he said with a grin.

She was so grateful to have her sight back to full capacity that she shouted in acclamation. "Thank you! I thought I was about to die!" she plopped her feet onto the table and began rubbing out the sore parts.

Kazu rolled his eyes. "Toph. Lady."

Toph suddenly realized and put her feet down. "Right," she mumbled. "So...is this as enjoyable as you thought it would be?"

Kazu smiled. "Oh yes. Very much so." He looked around at the elegant partisans of the restaurant they were sitting at. "This place is really fancy, are you sure we can afford it?Technically the male is supposed to pay and I don't think I can cover the cost."

Toph sighed. "I told you. Never worry about money when you're out with a Beifong."

Kazu swallowed. "Yeah but..."

"Don't you be goin macho on me, Kamikaze! When I say I'm going to pay for something I am going to pay for it!" she shouted, pointing in his direction before whipping out her fan and sitting back properly in her seat. "Okay?"

He chuckled. "You're not very good at this."

"It's not my cup of tea," she agreed. "But a deal is a deal and I like to settle my debts."

"Fair point."

Toph shuffled her feet around, trying to find the dirt on the pristine floor of the restaurant. Even outdoors the stone was polished to a point beyond usefulness. "So, Kazuhiro..." she spoke using his full name as a sign of respect as she was taught to do in her household. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you about."

"Ah ah ah!" Kazu shook his finger. "A lady never asks."

Toph's lips pursed. She knew this would happen. "You're going to have to tell me eventually."

"I know, and I will! I promise!" He said. "But it isn't exactly polite conversation to have with an elegant lady."

"Sure. I get it." She tried to force a smile. "Well I suppose I will just have to throw a tantrum and get what I want. Because that's what ladies in high society do."

Kazu shook his head. "I guarantee you that will not work."

"You're no fun."

"Thank you." He didn't look up from his menu.

A few tables behind, Sokka was peering over, hiding behind his menu and wearing a fake beard made of Appa's fur. The waiter came up to him and asked him what he wanted to order. He ignored him and began writing in his notebook.

_Toph is with boy at some fancy restaurant I can't actually afford. They appear to be..._

He observed them once more, laughing.

_Having a 'good time.'_ _But as everyone knows a 'good time' can lead to a 'bad decision.' _

He peeked over toward the table again as he noticed Kazu reaching across the table. He wrote ferociously.

_This is a code red! Boy has engaged in physical contact! I repeat! Boy has engaged in physical contact! Must act soon or he will make the move! _

Kazu, meanwhile, was trying to adjust Toph's hairpiece because it fell down. "It just doesn't want to stay, does it?"

"Can I please just get rid of it?" she asked.

"Aw, but I like it. It completes the whole Earth Kingdom Princess look you've got going on," he replied.

"Ugh."

"No groaning! A lady doesn't-"

"I KNOW WHAT A LADY DOES!" she attacked with her words.

"Excuse me, Sir?" The waiter said, trying to get Sokka's attention. "Are you ready to order?"

Sokka smiled and put on his "Old-man's" voice. "Why yes, Sonny. I'll have a cup of tea with a lemon wedge. Loose leaf." The waiter wrote down the order and walked away, confused as to why a boy was dressing up like an old man in that ritzy restaurant.

Toph laid her hand on her cheek as she listened to Sokka's terrible old-man impression. Even though he couldn't hear a word they were saying, she could pick him up loud and clear. He had been following them for quite some time and she was well aware that he was there. She wondered when he would become wise to the fact that even though she couldn't see him, she could feel him. The waiter gave Sokka his hot tea just like he asked. Toph grinned and used her earthbending to ram his stone seat into the table to the point where the momentum sent his head directly into his tea. He screamed in agony, running out the door. Toph shook her head. That wasn't going to be the last time he would be there. In a way, she was incredibly confused by his sudden interest in her friendship with Kazuhiro. Then again, maybe he just wanted to see her in a dress acting like a total idiot. Toph frowned. _Yeah, that's probably it. Sokka, you really are a meathead. _

After their meal, Kazu couldn't walk straight for another hour he was so full. He never got the advantage of actually reaping the benefits of Toph's family wealth as children, not that he was really interested in doing so. But now that he had a taste of what life was like on the other side, it was hard not to be a little jealous. They spent the rest of the day attempting to find 'Lady-Like' things for Toph to do since all of their usual excursions simply wouldn't be acceptable. However, after hours of thinking, the two came up with nothing and ended up just talking the entire time about one thing or another.

Sokka followed them all the way, of course, and Toph was having a blast making him fall from trees and crash into walls. After his fifth intrusion, they were finally able to shake him for a moment. A few months ago she would have been ecstatic that Sokka cared enough for her to even want to go through all of that just to keep her safe. But now, she couldn't help but feel done. Done with her childhood crush. Done with waiting for him to notice her in a way he didn't. So when she finally was able to be truly and completely alone with Kazu, she felt relaxed. It had been the first time she had been alone with a boy since Ohev. And while he had given her her first resemblance of a kiss from a boy, she couldn't deny that she was acting goofy that night to begin with. Love turned people into crazy, googly-eyed, nonsensical creatures. After all of that, falling in love became the last thing on her list of things to do. But being alone with Kazuhiro never felt that way. He didn't make her nervous or bubbly like she felt with Ohev. She could just be herself, except that day of course. And for someone who wanted nothing more to do her own thing, that was the greatest gift she could receive.

It wasn't long before the sun was beginning to set. They rode the train back to the tiny station just outside the village. From there, it wasn't too long of a walk back to Kazu's shop. Toph held in her complaints about her dress the entire way there, which she was secretly proud of. Still, she couldn't wait to get back. When they got back to the shop, Kazu hesitated in front of the door.

"Okay, I think it's finished cooling down now," he said running into the store. Toph crossed her arms. "I'll be right back!" he shouted. He returned immediately with a red cloth that was wrapped around something. He handed the object to Toph. "This is for you." She took it and removed the cloth, placing her hands over the object. It was made of sand crystal, that much she could tell. But the vibrations wouldn't tell her any more than that. She stroked the round object, feeling the bumps and the crevices. It was ovular with round indentations along the edges, scooping up into long leaf-like structures at the top. Her eyebrows lifted.

"It's a dragonfruit!" she exclaimed triumphantly.

"Yeah!" Kazu replied just as enthusiastically. "It's from the sand you gave me yesterday. I wanted to make something with a lot of texture since...so yeah..."

"I love it!"

Kazu stepped back a tad, shocked by her blatant joy. It was rare for her to give compliments. "You do?"

"It's a dragonfruit made of melted sand! How can I not love it?" She went to punch Kazu in the arm, but suddenly stopped realizing the warmth from the sun hadn't disappeared and the bet was still going. She put her hand on his shoulder and patted it. "I have to admit, when I heard you were making crystal sculptures and necklaces for a living, I was less than impressed." She walked down towards the beach, allowing her toes to wiggle in the sand. "But this stuff is pretty cool. I'm glad you're keeping the tradition alive."

Kazu jumped down and began walking beside her. "Someone has to."

"You think you could make a sand crystal sculpture of me like you did for that one guy in your basement?" she asked, excitedly.

"Okay. Not sure how I would get it to you though." He looked over towards the ocean. "Oh, hey. The sun is setting," he told Toph.

"_Really_?" She couldn't contain herself. "Count it down for me!"

"Should be behind the ocean in...ten seconds."

"Ugh! That's too long!"

"Seven..."

"Hurry up!" She jumped up and down.

"I can't rush the sun!" The light began to disappear from the sky. "Three, two, one." Toph upon hearing the 'one' collapsed onto the sand with a sigh of relief.

"At last! That was the worst thing you have ever made me do!" she shouted. Kazu sat down next to her on the sand.

"Really? The _worst _thing?"

Toph thought for a moment. "I can't think of anything worse than being strapped up in a straight jacket for an entire day." She unlaced the tight part of her dress.

"At least this one actually fits you," he admitted. "Not like the ones your parents made you wear."

"You didn't even see the _bad _stuff!" Toph retorted. "Come to think of it..." She sat up and punched Kazu as hard as she could. The boy let out a yelp and cradled his arm in his hand. "That's for making me take this stupid bet."

Kazu winced from the pain. "Yeah, let's never do anything like this ever again."

"Agreed."

Kazu crashed onto the sand, head and all, taking in the fresh seaside air. Toph followed, plopping down so he could see her if he turned his body slightly. He was breathing deeply. Toph was appreciative she learned how to sandbend. That way she didn't have to worry about not being able to feel him or everything around her. The ground was cool and dry, the air brisk. The smell of the salty ocean tickled her nose. There was something else there too. A warm air blowing that smelled of mint leaf.

She reached up to her hair and pulled it out of the tight bun, letting it flow naturally down and around her head. Every time she did this she was astonished at how much longer it felt. Normally, she felt her hair was always in the way so she pulled it up, but here it was different. _Everything is different, _she concluded.

"So..." he finally spoke. "You had a question you wanted to ask me earlier?" He continued to look up towards the twilight sky. "I suppose now would be as good a time as any."

Toph raised her eyebrows. Here it was. Her chance for answers. An opportunity to settle what had been plaguing her mind since they first reconnected. But as she listened to the sounds of the sea and felt his heartbeat through the grains of the sand, the desire became less prominent. "I don't think I'm in the mood anymore."

Kazu's face was red under the dark mask of night. "Okay. What do you want to do then?"

Toph sat up, sifting the sand between her fingers. She knew what she wanted to do. "I want to feel something."

Kazu sat up, facing her. "You mean like...a sand statue? The water? Something in the fo-" He was interrupted as Toph reached forward and grabbed his face with her hands. Kazu just sat there, paralyzed. She moved her hands around his cheeks, then moved to his eyes, then his nose.

"Wow. I haven't actually felt a person's face since I was five years old. It's so...squishy..."

Kazu tried to act casual, despite his slight apprehension of her stroking him like a pet. "I don't know very many people who go around touching other people's faces," he said nervously. She kept feeling his nose, trying to get a sense of how large it was compared to the rest of his body. She then moved to the ears, flopping them around.

"Even though I use my earthbending to see, it's hard to capture a sense of detail. I can tell when a guy is coming around the corner and I can measure how big he is based off of his vibrations. I can feel if people are lying or how they are feeling by their pulse and how fast their heart is beating." She lifted her hand and moved it down toward his neck, then up to his head. They went around and up towards his hair, ruffling it. It was soft and loose, like the fur of a jackalope only much longer. She continued to talk as she explored. "But faces don't come through my senses. These terms you use, eyes, nose, mouth, ears. I know what they do, and I know what they feel like on my own face. But on someone else it's always completely different."

"You should feel lucky you don't want to constantly compare yourself to others based on your looks. It's rough out there, for girls especially."

"Do you care? What you look like, I mean?"

"Sometimes," Kazu admitted. "But then I remember that it doesn't matter in the long run."

Toph tilted her head. "You're handsome, though?"

Kazu laughed. "I don't know. That's usually something society decides for you."

Toph grimaced. "That's dumb."

"It's what happens when people are given privileges..." he explained.

"Seeing is a privilege?"

"Everything is a privilege," Kazu sighed. "And a curse at the same time."

"Since when have you been all thinky like that?"

"I figured if I have to be a part of this world, I might as well do my best to understand it."

"I think you think too much." She moved her forehead closer to his. "If you spend all your time thinking about the world, but never actually experience it...then what you think about doesn't have much grounding." She could feel his heart pound faster and faster. "If you want to leave an impression, you have to dosomething not just think about doing it."

"I-I guess that makes sense..." he sputtered nervously.

"I swear your head is so up in the clouds sometimes, it's amazing you're not an airbender," She said flatly. She put a hand on Kazu's chest and sat back on her knees, before finally dropping it into the sand. "All these things probably look much different than they feel, huh?" She picked up the sand again and let it fall like water down her palm. "Okay, I'm ready now. I want to know what happened."

"You mean..."

"Yeah. You can tell me."

Kazu exhaled and took her hand. "Alright. I don't remember how long it was, but we made it out to sea from the straight. That's where I was when I-"

"A-HA!" A voice shouted from behind a bush. Toph's eyebrows flattened. _I guess my sand seeing skills aren't exactly perfect yet, _she grumbled to herself as Sokka waddled out onto the beach. "I caught you, you little snake!"

"Sokka, get out of here. We're trying to have a discussion!"

"Discussion? Discussion my cute round butt!" he shouted.

Toph sighed. "Someone's being optimistic."

"You can't fool me, _boy!_" he snapped at Kazu. "We all know that you set this whole thing up to go on a date with Toph!"

Kazu blinked harshly. "Excuse me?"

"Don't think I haven't been watching you! I've been _watching _you! You made this bet so you could get Toph to come to the city with you in a pretty dress and you could make your move! Well sorry, little man, that's not going to fly with this...um...big man!"

Toph pressed her palm against her face. "Sokka, you complete moron." She picked up the sand crystal dragonfruit.

"If I wanted to take Toph on a date, I wouldn't have taken her to the city in a fancy dress. She hates that. I thought that was the _point._"

"That doesn't make any sense and you know it!" Sokka cried.

"Stop it!" Toph stood as she yelled. "You're the one not making any sense, Meathead!" She stopped and turned to Kazu. "Just out of curiosity, where would you take me on a date?"

Kazu put his finger on his chin. "Not sure. Somewhere with a _spectacular _view."

Toph laughed sarcastically. "Hilarious."

"Don't think you're off the hook, young lady!" Sokka said grabbing Toph by the arm. "We're going home right now where you and I are going to have a talk about kissing random boys!" He tried to pull her, but he was unable to get her to budge.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Katara! Let me put on my 'I don't care' face," Toph snapped.

"First that one boy from the Earth Kingdom got you drunk on berry juice and now this? What you're doing is dangerous!"

Toph's face grew hot. She pulled Sokka down onto the sand after his next tug. "That berry juice wasn't even real and you know it! Don't go around telling people things that aren't true!"

"I think I'm gonna get going," Kazu said, trying to inch his way around a clearly burning up Toph and her friend. "I'll see you guys later."

"No! Wait!" Toph called after him, but he had already disappeared. She clenched her fists.

"Wow. That kid is like thin air."

"Why did you do that?" she hissed between her teeth.

"You're too young for a boyfriend."

"I'm the same age as Aang and he was _twelve _when he started dating your sister!"

"That's different!"

"No! It isn't!" she cried back to him. "It isn't different at all! I can't believe you humiliated me! How could you do something like that?"

"I'm just trying to protect you!"

"By telling him that I have a habit of kissing random boys? Yeah! That's really helpful. Thank you, Sokka! You're the best!" With that, she stormed off. "He wasn't _going _to kiss me!"

"Toph! Hold on!" He said, calling after her.

"We weren't even on a date!"

"I was just-"

"Leave me alone!"

This continued the entire way back to the camp. When Aang and Katara asked how Toph's day went, she ignored them and slammed a rock in front of her earth tent, refusing to come out. When Katara asked what was wrong, Sokka explained to them that he messed up and was spying on Toph and Kazuhiro. Suki, infuriated that her boyfriend would do something as juvenile as spy, sent him back to Toph and told him to apologize. Sokka stood outside the earth tent, listening to the pounding of agony and frustration coming from inside. He decided maybe now was not the best time to apologize. Instead, he thought it would be best to find Kazuhiro and explain to him that he's just looking out for his best friend. _After all, _he thought. _He said it wasn't a date. If it was a date, he would have paid for it, right? Yeah. _Sokka felt much better and made his way to Kazu's sand crystal shop.

He arrived, nervously recalling what he was going to say once Kazu answered the door. He was probably already upset with him, and there was nothing he could do about that. The only thing he could do was apologize and ask him to remain on friendly terms. There was a light coming from the house as Sokka nodded. He walked up to the door but before he could answer it, he noticed Kazuhiro through the open window. He was dressed in a robe and held a match in his hand. Sokka observed as he saw the young craftsman walk up to a small shrine in the middle of the room. There, he lit a candle and bowed his head, revealing a painting of an older man, smiling from ear to ear. _That must be his master, _Sokka thought. Guilt began to wash over him. He had already been through a lot, the last thing he needed was Sokka's annoying protectiveness over a girl he already knew. He made up his mind. He would apologize.

But again, before he was able to knock on the door, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Kazuhiro stood, his robe falling off revealing his bare skin. Sokka's jaw dropped into the sand. It was covered with burns in places, but that wasn't what he was staring at. There on his shoulder, was a tattoo the size of his fist in the shape of a flame. But not just any flame. Sokka stumbled backwards, falling onto his bottom. He scrambled to stand up, running as far away from the shack as possible. He didn't care that he was covered with sand. He had to get back to camp. He had to tell Toph.

Kazuhiro was from the fire nation.


	6. Brand of Inferno

**Avatar: The Last Airbender (c) Nickelodeon/ Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko**

_CHAPTER FIVE: Brand of Inferno _

Sokka stumbled into the campsite, his mind in a fog. All he could think about was how he had to get to Toph. "Toph!" he whispered into the empty air. "Toph!" he repeated. He tripped over a log, walking up Katara.

"Sokka?" she asked drearily. "What's going on?" Suki awoke next as the two followed Sokka to Toph's tent. Aang was the last one to catch wind of what was going on, and joined the group as soon as he could.

Sokka ignored her and approached the earth tent where he thought Toph was sleeping. "Toph! Toph wake up! I have to talk to you!"

"Go away, Sokka," she sneered through the wall of rock.

"Please!" he begged. "It's important! I know before when I've said it was important it wasn't really, but this time I swear it is!" He sighed. "It's about Kazuhiro."

It was quiet for a moment before the rock fell back into the ground. Out stepped a drowsy, unimpressed Toph who's hair was now in a messy bun. "What?"

Sokka inhaled. "Okay, so I was walking to his house because I wanted to apologize. I figured, you know, since I made you all upset and everything I would do that. Pretty awesome, right? Yeah. So I went there and was going to knock on the door when he had this weird candle thing and he was lighting it and there was a picture of some old dude and a shrine of some kind. And there was this thing on his back! A big tattoo that was a-"

"Get to the point," Toph said, slightly miffed.

Sokka bit his lip and prepared himself. He knew Toph would be heartbroken when she found out what he had to tell her, but he had to do it. She had to know. "Kazuhiro...he's..." he looked at her honestly, his energy brought concern into her own. "He's...from the Fire Nation."

Katara gasped, as Suki placed her hands over her mouth. Aang cringed, anticipating Toph's reaction. Toph herself waited for a moment, letting the silence set in before answering.

"Yeah, what's your point?"

The entire group felt their bodies lose to gravity as everything fell. Sokka was the first to pick himself up. "This isn't a joke, Toph! I'm being completely serious!"

"So am I," she replied. "Is this all you woke me up for?"

"Kazu is from the Fire Nation?" Aang thought out loud. "Really?"

"Yes! Really!" Toph snapped. "He's a firebender."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Suki asked.

Toph shrugged. "You didn't ask."

"So how long have you known?" Sokka interjected.

"Um...forever?" Toph responded sarcastically.

"Wait." Katara stepped forward, her face red with agitation. "You're telling me you've been friends with a firebender all this time and didn't bother to tell us?"

"I don't see what the big deal is," Toph scoffed. "The war is over."

"The _big deal, _Toph, is that we busted our butts trying to find Aang a firebending teacher and now you're saying you knew one the whole time!"

Toph felt her cheeks burn. "Everything turned out okay in the end, didn't it? Why are you worrying about this now?"

Katara let out a scream of aggravation. "If Aang was able to learn firebending before the fire nation came and took Ba Sing Se we could have prevented it! We could have prevented a lot of things! Ugh! You always do this!" The rest of the group backed away. They knew once these two got going, there was no way to stop them.

"It's not that simple."

"I think it is that simple! I think you know exactly why you didn't tell us!" Katara snapped. "Because you didn't want to have to go back to Gaoling and face up to your parents!"

Aang started to approach Katara. This was getting too violent. "Katara..."

"About how you _lied _to them!" There was silence all around, still and unsettling. "You let everyone down because you wanted to run away from your problems instead of facing them!" Katara shouted.

"You know what? I'm done with this," Toph grumbled, walking away from the group.

Katara's face fumed. "Oh no you don't! Come back here!" she grimaced. "There you go! Running away again! The Runaway, that name really fits you!" Toph didn't stop walking, which made Katara even more upset. "You coward!" She stopped when she felt Aang's hand on her shoulder.

"Can you believe this?" she said. "She's so...so..."

"Right." Aang said, letting go of Katara's shoulder.

Katara blinked as she looked at her boyfriend. "What?"

"She was right, Katara. I wasn't ready to learn firebending when we got to Gaoling. I needed more time to recover. Even though it would have been nice to learn earlier, and even though it may have given me the strength to defeat Zuko and save Ba Sing Se, things would have been different. If that happened, Zuko and I wouldn't be friends right now."

"I guess but..."

"I trust Toph," he said smiling. "She may be self-focused sometimes, but she would never do something to hurt us on purpose."

"Aang is right," Suki said. "We all assumed that Kazuhiro being from the Fire Nation would be a bad thing. I don't think Toph has that bias."

"There has to be another reason," Aang said. "Think about it. They hadn't seen each other for five years. She might not have even known where he was."

Katara sighed. "I didn't even think about that." She collapsed onto a log and set her head in her hands, ashamed. "I'm such an idiot." She stood up. "I'm going to find her and apologize." Sokka, however, put a hand up to stop her.

"Maybe, wait until she cools down a bit. You might have opened up something you're not ready to look at."

Katara slunk back down onto the log. "You're right."

They waited for hours, until Toph finally returned. She trudged through the site, her feet lighter and her breathing at a calm. Katara stood up, her hands folded in front of her as Toph walked by. She tried to talk to her, but she realized soon that now wasn't the right time. Toph lifted her foot in front of her tent and prepared to slam the door shut, but instead of crashing her foot into the dirt, she stopped, setting it down. She half turned to face her friends, so her voice would carry over to them.

"Kazuhiro is a Fire Nation Army deserter," she said coldly. "Getting him involved would have put both him and Aang in serious danger."

Katara allowed the information to sink in. "I didn't know."

There was a pause before Toph spoke again. "It's okay." The rock shot up to the top of the tent, shutting off the girl from her friends. She leaned against her rock, feeling the vibrations as she began to run out of breath. She hadn't talked about what happened. Even she didn't know the whole story yet. _I'm sorry, Kazu, _she thought.

Kazuhiro sat in front of the smoking fire pit, twiddling his thumbs. He looked from one face, to another, to another. They were all staring at him, trying to figure him out, he supposed. He had guessed what happened after the sudden invitation to come have breakfast with them. It was Toph's energy that gave it away. He wasn't afraid, though. He figured this would have to come up eventually. Sokka was the first to speak.

"So...how does it feel to come from a Nation responsible for thousands of deaths?"

Toph smacked him into the ground with her foot angrily. "You don't have to tell these jerks anything, Kamikaze. They're all Dunderheads."

"No, it's fine," Kazu said keeping a serious tone. "It'll be best if I just explain everything."

Toph sighed, releasing her foot from Sokka's head. No matter what she did, she couldn't shake the sensation in her gut. She wasn't sure if telling them everything was such a good idea. What if they didn't believe him for some reason? Or maybe they wouldn't be able to get past their history with the fire Nation to even listen. After all, maybe there was part of her that didn't want to know everything herself. But Kazu seemed to really want to come clean, so she couldn't tell him no.

"So," he began. "I guess I'll just start from the beginning. You see I-" he stopped, feeling Toph grab his sleeve. She nodded, but held her grip firm as he talked. He couldn't help but feel proud to have a friend who would be so supportive. "I was born on an island on the southern end of the Fire Nation. It was small, secluded. Even though we were part of the nation, we never felt like it."

"Okay, we don't need a life story," Sokka grumbled. He was shut up by a rock shooting up and hitting him in the crotch. He collapsed to the floor as Kazu gave Toph a serious look. She could sense his eyes on her.

"What? He deserved it."

Kazu rolled his eyes and continued to speak. "My parents were against the war. My father, the man who taught me firebending, said that fire can be fueled by passion, negative and positive. He taught us to only use our bending for defense and to find the energy of life that resides in everything, not just anger. He said if we lost sight of our source, we could become consumed by the fire within ourselves."

"Like the Sun Warriors," Aang related. "Fire is energy and life."

"Exactly," Kazu said with a smile. "People think that ideology was forgotten by the people of our Nation. But there are some who remember." He was feeling much more comfortable. The group was surprised by how calm and content he was, especially drudging up obviously difficult memories. "That was a problem..." Kazu explained. His smile slowly started to fade. "I was the oldest of three children. They knew once I turned thirteen I might have to report to the main land to serve my time in the military. I would have to leave my parents, my brother and sister, everyone."

"The Fire Nation had a draft? But I saw kids in classes while I was there," Katara said.

"That's because the draft doesn't effect everyone. They take from different families in the regions. They do it every year at the same time. I'm sorry, I should have explained."

"Stop apologizing..." Toph mumbled. "You don't have anything to apologize for!"

"I told you it's okay," Kazu tried to console her, but she let go of him.

"This is pointless! He was drafted into the army and escaped. End of story. The rest is none of your business!" Toph yelled at her friends.

"Toph," Katara said. "We're not trying to pry. We just want to hear the story."

"Maybe he doesn't want to tell it!" Toph snapped.

"You're being ridiculous!"

"And you're being insensitive!"

"Insensitive? Look who's talking to me about _insensitive_! You're thick as a brick!"

"Stop it!" Kazu shouted standing to his feet. The girls shrunk a bit as fire engulfed the air around him. "I'm telling the story. I'm doing it because I want to, not for any other reason." He sat back down, cross-legged, and took in a deep breath. "Now whoever wants to hear the rest can do so. If not, you can leave." Katara stared at him, shocked. His resolve was impressive. Even Sokka had to admit that this kid knew how to deal with harsh situations.

"So...you got drafted?" Suki asked, getting back on topic.

Kazu nodded. "I only wish it was that simple. My parents spent years trying to leave the island, escape to the Earth Kingdom. But soon the capital caught on that many other families were trying to do the same thing. They unfortunately didn't make it out." Kazu remembered the feeling of being ripped away from his parents arms. The flames that surrounded them. "The government didn't take it well." He kept his breathing regulated, but now his head began spinning from the memory. "So that was it. They found out I was a firebender and took me right then. One month before my birthday."

"How awful," Suki exclaimed.

"Fire Nation scum..." Sokka whispered. Suddenly, he remembered. "So I take it the emblem on your shoulder isn't a sign of your National Pride."

Toph's eyebrows lifted. "Emblem? What emblem?" She walked over and sat onto the ground beside him. "Kazu, what is he talking about?"

"Do you know what a tattoo is?" he asked.

Toph scrunched her nose. "Um...fundamentally..." Kazu reached up and grabbed the side of his brown shirt, pulling it over his head and onto the floor. He turned around and showed his back to everyone. Sure enough, Sokka was right. The tattoo was the symbol of the Fire Nation. Suki gasped.

"Kazuhiro...you're covered in burns..."

He froze and turned around. "Oh, those. Those are from my work with the sand crystal. I will use the firebending to keep the molten sand consistently hot, that way I don't have to worry about it hardening so soon. Sometimes I get a little carried away." Suki shook her head in disbelief.

"So you got the tattoo..." Sokka continued.

"When I joined the army, yes. When you begin your training they divide you by how much they think you can take." He reached and touched his back, feeling the weight of the needle carving into his skin once more. He felt them hold down his hands as his screams echoed through the crevices of his mind. That was where they began, he remembered. "If you can take the pain without crying...you are sent to one camp. If you can't, they stop and put you in the other camp. They can tell by how complete your tattoo is how good of a solider you'll make."

"That's terrible!" Katara said, unable to get the image out her head.

"But effective," Toph replied. "There's a reason why the war lasted one hundred years with one nation against three others."

"I knew the Fire Nation was brutal," Aang said. "But I had no idea."

"Did you cry?"

Kazu shook his head. "No. They finished it. They said it was remarkable. They had never seen a kid that young get so far. But when I got to the camp, they realized I was really good at avoiding attacks...not so good at taking charge and attacking myself. So I got punished a lot. Eventually they thought it would be a good idea to put me on the field...in a fire nation colony."

"I see."

He bit his lip. "But when the people of the Earth Kingdom attacked, we were forced to retaliate." That's when the screams continued, he recalled. The screams of women, of children, of people he shared the world with. No one was spared. "I watched as my friends turned into savages. They stole and destroyed everything. It was only my fifth month in the army, but I couldn't handle it. So I left and...yeah...that's it..."

"But is it?" Katara asked. "How did you escape? Weren't they looking for you?"

"Sure, but I made a deal with these guys who were heading to Ba Sing Se. Apparently Fire Nation refugees were all going there to be protected." He smiled slightly. "We had to stop in Gaoling and that's when I met Toph. We've been friends ever since."

"But you made it to Ba Sing Se?" Sokka confirmed.

"N-no, I didn't. I got..." he gave Toph a look, then turned away, a blush creeping onto his face. "Distracted."

"You can trust him, okay? I promise." Toph crossed her arms. "You don't need to know every little detail!"

"I really need to be getting to the shop," Kazu said standing. "I took yesterday off, when I really shouldn't have. But I guess if you really want to know we could pick it up later."

"That would be great," Katara said, half-heartedly. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know more.

"I'll go with you," Toph said, standing up with him.

"We'll all go," Sokka announced, getting between him and Toph. "It's the least we can do after everything that has happened."

Toph grunted, annoyed, but Kazu was grateful for the new kinship. "Thanks, Sokka." He slapped him on the back. "That's really cool of you."

"Yeah, well," he held out his hand. "Any enemy of the Fire Nation is a friend of mine."

Kazu stopped, not breaking his cheerful attitude. "Don't misunderstand," he said lightly. "I don't hate the Fire Nation. It's where I was born, my home. I just don't care for the way they run things."

Sokka took his hand and shook it anyway. "Hey man, I don't keep track of specifics." Kazu chuckled and received the handshake graciously.

They walked back to the beach where the shack was. All the way, Suki vented about how she couldn't tell that Kazu was from the Fire Nation this whole time. The pepper, the dragon references, she felt like an idiot for not realizing it earlier. She held her boyfriend's arm as they lingered behind the rest of the group. They watched as Toph and Kazu continued to talk and laugh together.

"You okay?" she asked Sokka.

He groaned, but then looked at Suki in the eye. "Yeah. I think so." She nuzzled her cheek onto his shoulder and smiled. It was true, the apprehension in Sokka's body had disappeared as soon as he heard Kazu's story. But that didn't change the strange feeling he got when he watched the two together. For now, though, he would keep those feelings to himself. So long as Toph was happy, there was nothing he could really do about it. He might as well accept it. Suddenly, the line stopped moving. Kazu stood with Toph in front of the shack. He could hear Katara gasp.

"Oh my God," she quietly exclaimed.

"Why? What's going-" he stopped as soon as he got to the front of the shack. The entire front door was busted down, the frame broken. "Oh no." Kazu walked into his shop to discover it in shambles. Broken crystal covered the floor. He stopped Toph from walking inside, knowing that she had trouble sensing the crystal. He lead her outside, in front of the door. She was in too much of a shock to do anything.

"Who would do something like this?" Suki asked, clinging to Sokka.

"Um...guys?" Aang said, looking at the side of the building. The others gathered and joined him. There, on the wall, was a message written in red paint. No one spoke for a long time, taking in the words. Everyone except Toph, who stood with her fists clenched.

"What does it say?" she asked.

"It...um..." Suki tried to explain.

"It's not important," Kazu finally said. He picked up a piece of wood off the ground and began to take it inside. Toph stepped in front of him, knowing he couldn't move her.

"What. Does. It. Say?" she insisted. There was silence. "Tell me, Kazuhiro! What does it say!"

"It says... go home Fire-breather," Katara read for him. Kazu rested a hand on his forehead. Toph growled.

"It's not important, Toph," she grumbled. "It doesn't matter, Toph!" She began to storm off. Kazu groaned and flipped in front of her, blocking her path. She stopped, even though she could push right past him. Frustrated, she shoved him back.

"Ow!"

"You told me it wasn't going to happen again!"

"I told you not to worry about it! There's always a possibility-"

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself! _That's_ what you said!" she shouted.

"Whoa, Toph, calm down," Sokka said approaching the two. "There's no way he could have known this would happen."

Toph ignored him and kept shouting. "What if you had been here?"

"Toph. It's okay-" Kazu warned.

"They would have done the same thing to you that they did to Morikami!"

"Shut up, will you!" He cried.

Katara and Aang approached the two. It was Aang who put the pieces together. "That's what that woman meant. When she said he fixed the shop." He looked at Katara. "This isn't the first time it's happened." Suddenly, Toph stopped cold. She dropped to the floor, putting her palm on a nearby rock. Her eyebrows scrunched.

"Hang on," she said. She could feel them. Vibrations. They were moving fast. She flashed her teeth into a scowl and stood. "I'll be right back!" She took off running across the beach.

"Where are you going?" Katara called. Kazu sighed as he watched her take off.

She ran as fast as she could through the village, tracing the vibrations. She could feel it, a metal rod being dragged along a stone path. They were close. She could sense them just around the corner. Two boys, one slightly taller than the other. Both the same build. Neither of them were benders. She scowled. That made it even worse. It wasn't long before she could hear their voices. The pace slowed down. They were stopping.

"You think anyone saw us?" one asked.

"Doubt it," the other replied. Both were out of breath. "I don't think anyone was home."

"Excuse me," a voice came from behind them. They turned around to see Toph standing there, a wide grin on her face. "You boys going somewhere interesting?"

"Uh...no!" the first boy said. "No, we're not."

Toph took a few steps closer. "Oh, I see. That's too bad, I'm always in the mood for a good time."

"Yeah, well, we've gotta get going so...maybe some other time!" The other boy grabbed his friend as they tried to make a run for it. Toph slammed her foot into the ground to create a wall blocking their passage.

"You guys were by the beach earlier..." she said, her tone growing colder and colder. She continued to head towards them. "That was you, wasn't it? I can smell the paint on your clothes."

"Look, whatever you saw-"

"Me?" Toph grinned. "I didn't _see_ anything." She was now two feet away from the boys, her shadow falling over them in a shroud of darkness. There was no escape. "I just came by for some information, that's all." She lifted her head, showing off her unwavering eyes. "Do you know who killed Mr. Morikami? Answer honestly."

"Who?"

"The old man who used to work at the shop you destroyed!" she yelled. "Was it a coo? Are you part of a group of some kind? Tell me before I rip the limbs off of your dainty little bodies!"

"We didn't kill anyone! We swear!" the second boy said, quivering.

The first boy, however, stood his ground. "You're with him, aren't you?" he spat. "The firebender."

"So what if I am?" Toph said, getting closer. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Those flame-breathers have no right to live in this town after what they did!"

Her whole body shook with ferocity. "He could have died because of you."

"You care about that swine when thousands of people were killed by their hands?They're the monsters, not us!"

Toph grimaced as the boys recoiled. "Dude," the second boy shook. "I don't like the look in her eyes. It's freaking me out."

"It's people like _you _who are slowing down the progress of the world!" Toph screamed. The ground cracked beneath her feet. She calmed herself.

"Yeah? Well you can just get out too, you traitor!" he lifted the metal rod up into the air, swinging it towards Toph. She grabbed it in midair, her face unimpressed.

"You really are stupid," she said bending the metal backwards, causing the boy to drop it. She gripped him by the shirt, holding him close to her nose. "You sit there and blame the Fire Nation for everything because it's easy. You know what that makes you?" She spat on their feet. "Pathetic garbage. And I don't like garbage in any street, especially the one I'm walking on. You hear me?" She lifted up her fist. "You and your little friends never _ever _touch Kazuhiro again. If you do, I will find you. And this?" She nodded to her fist. "This will only be a fraction of the pain you will feel!"

"Toph!" Another voice shouted from behind. Her fist froze, clenched as tight as she could. "Come on, let's go." She turned around to see Kazu coming toward her, a look of concern in his eyes.

"They admitted it, Kazu..." she said as she grit her teeth. "They're the ones who-"

"It doesn't matter," he said calmly. "Enough damage has already been done." She groaned, dropping the boy to the ground. Kazu began to walk back, as Toph followed behind, giving one last glare toward the boys.

"Oh yeah?" The first boy stood back up. "Well, screw you!" He picked up a pebble and hurled it toward the back of Kazu's head. He turned around and caught it. The boy stepped backwards in shock.

"I think you made him angry..." the other boy whispered.

"I'm not afraid of him!" the first boy shouted. "All you Fire Nation can roll over and die! Don't think we don't know!" His breathing grew heavy. "Only crazy people would come up with the idea of melting sand!"

"That's it!" Toph exclaimed. "You're the one who's going to die, smart mouth!" She began to charge toward him but Kazu grabbed her wrist and stopped her from moving forward.

"It's time to go, Toph," he said. He knew he couldn't actually move her, so he would just have to wait until she was ready to leave.

"What?" the boy said. "You let your girlfriend fight your battles for you? Why don't you man up and face me yourself!"

"Can I please hit him now?" Toph whined.

"You firebenders are all the same! Taking advantage of other Nation's resources to make yourselves stronger without giving anything in return! I wish the Avatar would have wiped you all off the face of the earth!"

Toph broke away from Kazu's grip and started charging toward the two boys. Kazu didn't take much time. He flipped over her, igniting the air in a orange blaze. The line of fire only lasted a second, but it was long enough for him to stop her in her tracks and grab her wrist. He turned back toward the two boys.

"Get out of here," he said. "Go on! Scram!"

The second boy grabbed the first boy's arm and pulled him away from the fight. Toph didn't bother to feel them leave. All she could feel was Kazu's vibrations palpitating with hers. She yanked her arm free of his grip and angrily heaved her air. Kazu began to walk the opposite direction, but was stopped by Toph's venomous words.

"You let them go."

"Yes."

"Why would you do that? They deserved to be-"

"I know that, Toph. But that doesn't mean you can go around attacking people in the streets!" he shouted, turning around.

"And just let them push you around?"

"I don't have a choice!"

"You could have pulverized them in a millisecond!"

"And what good would that have done, huh?" he said, making his way towards her. "Just reinforcing that the Fire Nation is nothing but a bunch of violent brutes!"

Toph frowned. "At least you wouldn't have just taken it."

"Sometimes you have to."

"And sometimes you have to fight! What they did was wrong!"

"I can't just beat them up! Things are different now from back then!" He brushed back his brown hair. "I can deal with the drama myself. I don't need you fighting my battles."

"But you won't. So what am I supposed to do, just let this happen again and again?" She clenched her fists again, making her way towards him. "No! You have to stop this lillying around and start standing up for yourself!" She wasn't sure how much more of this she could handle. Kazu was one of the most capable warriors she had ever come across in her lifetime, but the way he was acting now could get him seriously hurt. She got into his face. "I won't sit here and watch them treat you this way! Not again! Not after-"

But she couldn't finish her sentence. Something was in the way, blocking her words from coming out. She felt warm hands wrap lightly around her neck. Her heart began to race. His lips imprinted themselves onto hers, soft and light. She couldn't clear her mind. All she could feel were the vibrations of his heartbeat. It was faster than hers. She didn't understand what was happening, but at the moment she didn't care. She knew one thing for certain. This wasn't the berry juice.


	7. Never Silent, Never Done

**Avatar: The Last Airbender (c) Nickelodeon/ Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko**

**Kazuhiro Tatsumaru and other original characters (c) Me. **

_CHAPTER SIX: Never Silent, Never Done_

_The room was dark. Not a sound could be uttered, not a rustle made. This was it. The moment of truth. Feet tiptoed along the stone floor. This floor no mere family could afford, that was certain. The window was left slightly open, a melancholy breeze making its way into the room. Wooden blinds, strange for this kind of weather. His hand touched the floor, sensing the patterns around it. Heat. Energy. Someone was there. He knew it. However, he couldn't be distressed. They were alone, and if they were alone he could get away. He hid behind the wall, waiting for someone to make a sound. No one did. That was a good sign. But as soon as the young boy made his way past the wall, he heard a crepitation and dove back into the shadow. He couldn't be seen, he took solace in that. The noise settled and he began his trek. But something was wrong. He pulled on his foot, but it wouldn't budge so neither could he. This was bad. He grabbed it by both hands and yanked it repeatedly, but soon found that it was completely merged with the floor. In an attempt to calm his panicked state. The floor moved again, wrapping around his other leg in a tight embrace. This was it. He was caught and there was nowhere for him to run. He looked into the dark as he saw a figure move toward him. _

_"Gotcha," he heard a voice call out into the darkness. It was young but had bite. He swallowed. It was a kid, just like him. A girl. "Who are you?" _

_"I'm...um..." he stumbled over his words. The figure continued to move toward him in the darkness. _

_"It sucks not being able to know what's around you, doesn't it?" the girl said. Her voice was smug and jesting. "You don't have to make up stories for me. I know your kind." He could finally make out a face as the girl stepped into the light. Sweat began to pour down the boy's face. _

_"Y-you do?" _

_She got close to the boy's face, her nose practically touching his. "You're a thief." The boy quivered. He was caught, hook line and sinker. There was no doubt about it. He would be sent to jail for this. He sighed, at least it was better than the alternative. The girl slammed her foot into the ground causing a tall rock to rise out of it. She hopped onto it, monkey-like, pushing back her hair. A smile graced her lips. "I love thieves." She crossed her legs and sat on the rock, as though waiting for a bedtime story. The boy stared at her, simply blinking in response. He wasn't expecting this kind of response. _

_"Huh?" Was all he could make out in the jumble of his mind. _

_"I'm right, aren't I?" the girl asked, her face filled with fireworks. "You are a thief! Why else would you be sneaking around my room at night?" She paused, her cheeks blushing as she folded her arms with excitement. "Another mystery, solved! Though I gotta say, it was a little anti-climactic." _

_"E-excuse me?" _

_"So what kind of thief are you? Are you a part of a band of thieves that take from a bunch of different houses? Hm..." she got off the rock and began walking around him as much as she could. "I don't think you're a master thief, you're far too young. Though, I'm a master earthbender and I'm only ten." She put a hand on her hips. "I know. You can applaud now."_

_"Uh..." _

_"You're not one of those assassin's are you? Cause if you were I'd have to kill you. Haha! No, just kidding. I totally could though. I'm that awesome. Oh! No! I know who you are!" She jumped in front of him with a grin, her eyes glazed. The boy tilted his head. It was like she wasn't even looking at him even when he was right there. "You're one of those steal from the rich, give to the poor folks, aren't you?" She frowned. "That's so boring. I'd rather you be an assassin. That would be way cooler. Eh, whatever." She hopped back on her rock as the boy continued to stare at her. "You must be really poor huh?" _

_The boy cringed. "W-why? Do I look poor?" _

_The girl shrugged. "How should I know?" This confused the boy even more. Hadn't she seen a poor person before. He looked down at his clothes. They were the best he owned. Maybe if he had worn his mask the girl would be more impressed. He mentally slapped himself. What did he care what the girl thought? He was going to go to prison anyway. "My name's Toph, by the way." She held out her hand, which was now level with his face. "Toph Beifong." _

_"Beifong? You?" the boy shook his head. _

_"Got a problem with that?" _

_"No! No! Not at all!" He swallowed. "You live here, then?" _

_"Of course I..." she stopped, realizing what she was saying. "Yeah, I live here. What about you? Where do you live?" The boy bit his lip, unsure of how to answer. "Oh. It's a secret, huh?" The boy just stared at her. She had to be out of her mind. "If you can't tell me then...maybe you could show me!" _

_"N-no! No! I...don't think that's a good idea." _

_"Come on! I've been trying to get out of this dung heap since I was six years old! You're already, what, eleven-"_

_"Twelve" _

_"And you're out there! Living your life!" She smiled. "I wanna do that." The boy scratched the back of his neck. The girl huffed. "What? You think cause I'm a girl I can't live out there on my own?" _

_"No! That's not it!" he exclaimed. Toph lifted an eyebrow. "It's just..." He tried to think of an excuse. "Being a thief really isn't all that fun. You could get into real trouble." _

_"Good! At least then my life would mean something!" she snapped. She smirked. "You'll change your mind once you see what I can do. I'm the best earthbender in the world. At least, I will be someday." _

_"H-how..." the boy tried to find the right words. He didn't want to be rude. "How did you see me?" _

_"Huh?" _

_"In the shadow...no one ever sees me, but you did." He fiddled with his fingers. "How?" _

_Toph laughed. "I didn't, Stupid." She stood on the rock, slamming it back into the floor. The boy jerked from the vibration of the floor. "I could sense your movements from the other room." _

_"Wow. Earthbenders can do that?" _

_"Only the awesome ones," The boy sighed. She was certainly the 'modest' type, he thought sarcastically. "But you didn't even wake the guards. That's impressive." The boy frowned. He thought the guards were all in the courtyard. There were some in the house too? Were they all trying to protect the scroll? He paused, looking at the girl. Or was it something else? "You know what? I changed my mind." _

_"What?" _

_"You have to be a master thief in order to get past security without anyone noticing, except me of course. Do you have a cool name and stuff? What do they call you?" _

_The boy gulped. "Uh...Kazuhiro." _

_Toph's face flattened. "Kazuhiro? But that's just a dumb old normal name. Don't you have a thief name?" _

_Kazuhiro blinked. "Not really." _

_"That stinks," Toph mumbled. "Kazuhiro is no fun to read on a wanted poster. I mean, I assume. You can't whisper that name in fear. 'have you heard? Kazuhiro might strike again tonight'. Bo-ring." _

_"Sorry my name isn't interesting enough for you..." Kazuhiro snarled. "But I can't get anything I want just by uttering my name like you can." _

_"Excuse me!" Toph shouted, growling. She froze, looking like she was about to punch Kazuhiro in the face. But instead she crossed her arms. "Is that an actual backbone in there, Kamikaze?" She grinned. "Didn't think you had it in you." _

_Kazuhiro blushed. "Kami-kaze?" _

_"That's my new nickname for you!" She said seriously. "Got that, Kamikaze?" _

_"G-got it." _

_"Good! Now that this horrible injustice has been conquered, take me to your thieving liar so I can learn your pillaging ways." _

_Kazuhiro looked down at his feet, then at the girl. He could just bring her for a little while...but he didn't know who she was or why she wanted to leave. Her parents would be devastated to find her gone. He couldn't do that to them..._

_"Listen," he said calmly. "You really should just turn me in." _

_"Turn you in? Why would I do that? I'm not going to turn on a fellow-" _

_"You can't come with me, okay?" he said, much louder than his usual tone. "Believe me, you don't really want to be a thief. It's...not all it's cracked up to be." _

_Toph was silent for a moment. He wondered if she was going to call out, scream, what? But she simply moved her foot and released Kazuhiro's own feet from their bondage. Confused, he looked at her, but she kept her eyes covering her face. "Get out," she hissed. _

_"I'm sorry?" _

_She clenched her fists and screamed. "Get out!" She moved her foot, causing the stone floor to pick up Kazuhiro and shove him towards the window. She walked over and used one more rock to shove him halfway out. "And never come back!" She turned around then and began to walk away. The young Kazuhiro stood, eyes glued to the back of her head. She was breathing heavily. He could tell he had hurt her feelings. He sighed as he silently slipped out the window. He would have to come back another evening, he decided. What was most important, was the scroll. _

Katara finished sweeping up the rest of the broken glass off the molding wood. Some had tickled into the crevices and grain of the floorboard, but there was nothing she could really do about it. She felt absolutely terrible. They had managed to clean everything up as best they could. Sokka was outside helping Toph repair the entry while she and Suki helped Kazuhiro tidy up in the main entry. Aang had left to get material to fix the roof and would be gone for a while with Appa. She couldn't believe that someone was capable of doing something like this. Even if they did clean it up to the point where it could function again, it would take days to recreate all the crystal that was broken. She looked over towards Kazu, who was focused intently on a certain section of the room. His shrine had been demolished along with the sand crystal. He slowly put back the candles and the drawing, not saying a word the entire time.

"Um...Kazuhiro?" Suki said, not sure whether or not to disturb him. "We finished sweeping. Is there anything else we can do?"

"No, you go on and take a break," he said in an almost whisper. He walked past them, bumping into Sokka on the way out.

"Hey...the archway is finished."

Kazu forced a smile. "Great, thanks so much. You didn't have to-" But Sokka put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"You're right," he said with a genuine smile of his own. "We didn't." Kazu nodded, the heaviness in his heart beginning to lift.

He noticed Toph sitting outside on the front steps, at least what was left of them. He exhaled, staring at the back of her head. There was no way he could justify what happened, no way he could explain to her why or how. On top of everything, he went and made things more complicated. He gulped and walked outside, his brain searching through files of ludicrous excuses for what he did. But when he got out there, he noticed her sitting there, her breath completely calm. He didn't say anything, but walked by and sat right next to her on the rickety stairway. They sat there for a while, taking in the silence and the sounds of the waves crashing onto the beach. Kazu closed his eyes, hoping he could sense what she sensed. He wondered if she could smell the sand and sea, the weeds that rose up onto the shore. What did they feel like? He paused. What did he feel like? His mind wasn't able to wonder too long before she spoke.

"I'm sorry," she said. Kazu turned to look at her in astonishment. Toph was...sorry? She was never sorry, even when she should be. He could tell she meant it.

"It's...not your fault."

"No it isn't," she said again, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. "That's what makes it worse. This would have happened whether I was here or not." She rested her chin on her knees.

"I suppose."

"Still, I'm sorry I-" She tried to speak again, but was stopped. Something in her couldn't say it. She took a breath. She had to say something. "So what now?"

"Tomorrow's the summer solstice," he reminded her. "Then I guess it's just business as usual." He sighed, moving the sand with his foot. "It's weird having people know. I feel like this weight has been lifted, but is still looming over my head, you know? And now, talking about it..." His chest grew tight. "I never realized how much time had really gone by."

"You miss them, don't you?" she said. "Your family, I mean."

He chuckled. "More than anything."

"The war is over, Kazu." She sat up slightly. "You can go back to the Fire Nation any time you want. No one is stopping you." She sneered. "From the sound of things they would be grateful if you left."

Kazu was silent for a long time, as though pondering this idea. "I would have no idea where to start."

"We could help you."

Kazu shook his head. "You've already done too much."

Toph held her legs tighter, her breathing beginning to shorten. "There's no way I'm letting you stay here."

"Where else am I going to go?"

"Somewhere!" Toph stood up. "Anywhere! Anywhere but here!"

"Toph...I can't."

"Why not?" she snapped. She walked down the stairs, getting to his level. "All you have to do is hop on Appa and we'll drop you off in the Fire Nation! It's not that hard!" She nudged him in the arm. "We're tight with the Fire Lord, too. I'm sure he could help us find your parents for you."

"Traveling to the Fire Nation would be dangerous, even after the war. The law is still tightly enforced there." He sighed. "And besides that. I don't even know if they're alive anymore."

"That stuff's all in the past!"

"I completely deserted my position, Toph!" he cried as he stood to meet her. "People get beheaded for things like that!"

"And this is any better?" she retorted. "Waiting around day to day, trying not to get killed?"

"It's not like that."

"This isn't going away, Kazu! We thought it would just gloss over but it won't!" She felt something tickle her nose. "Next time you might not be so lucky."

"There isn't going to be a next time," Kazu assured.

"You're darn right, there's not," Toph hissed. She sat back down on the steps, folding her hands under her legs. She sighed. "But if you had the chance, even the smallest bit of it, that your family was still out there, wouldn't you want to take it? Wouldn't you want to find them?"

Kazu felt his entire body grow stiff. He knew that in his heart, he wanted nothing more than to see his family again. But the way Toph was speaking, it almost sounded like there was more to it.

"It's been years since you've seen them..." she continued. "They must be worried, right? I mean, they might think you're dead or something. Even if you send them letters, they never write back. But you never wait long enough for them to give you a reason why."

Kazu watched as Toph slowly sank into her seat, her heart pounding. He rested his hand on her thigh and smiled. "You're absolutely right."

Toph's face expanded in bewilderment. "Huh, I mean, yeah always...but why exactly am I right this time?"

"I have to see them," he said with a determined smile. "I have to at least try." He scooted closer to Toph. "And so should you."

"Wh-what? No. No way."

"Why not? You're back in the Earth Kingdom, Gaoling is easy to get to if you follow the river."

"I haven't seen my parents in three years! What am I going to do? Walk in there and say 'Hi guys, sorry I'm late for dinner?!'"

"Toph," he said in a hushed tone. This caused a blush to creep onto her face. "I know you miss them."

Toph scoffed, moving her head slightly away from him. "What's to miss? Nothing but rules and itchy clothes." Her her body still felt heavy. It was true. She told herself she would be fine shutting out her family and living on her own. But abandoning them completely, now that she had done it, was something she wished she could take back. She was older now, wiser, stronger, perhaps they would finally be able to see how capable she really was. She didn't want to go back to the world where everything was done for her. She had the taste of freedom and wasn't going to give that up. But still...if she could see them again. If she could change their minds and show them who she really was maybe, just maybe, life would be a little bit easier.

"They're right there," Kazu finally said. "What do you have to lose?"

Toph sighed, standing up again. "Fine, but you're going to have to come with us."

Kazu mimicked her action with more urgency. "Are you crazy? I can't go back to Gaoling!"

"This was your dumb idea! And anyway, you can go into the town. No one's gonna remember you there. Just don't walk through my front door and you'll be fine." Toph uncrossed her arms. "Then afterwards we can take you back to the Fire Nation."

"I just stay in the town?"

"Yep."

"With the Avatar?"

"If you're good."

Kazu put a hand on his chin, thinking for a moment. Finally, he took his hand and ruffled Toph's hair. "Alright, if you really need the moral support."

"Shut up," Toph grumbled. The truth was she didn't want Kazu to stay by himself any more. She figured if she faced her fear and talked to her parents, he would go back to the Fire Nation where Zuko would be able to protect him. At least she hoped that was the case. She felt her cheeks grow florid as his hand moved away from her head. She felt the urge to punch him, but it was coupled with something else. She touched her lips for a moment before shaking her head. That wasn't what was important right now. She had more essential things to worry about at the moment. _Mom...and Dad..._she thought as she sat back down, feeling Kazu go back inside. _After all these years, I wonder if you'll finally notice. _

_Kazuhiro sat outside the window, perched precariously so he would not be seen. This time he was going to get it, there was no doubt in his mind. Still, he shuddered at the thought of running into that girl again. He shook his head, vigorously. What was he doing? Afraid of a little girl who obviously didn't have any sense for danger? Ridiculous. Then again, she wiped him good and clean the night before while wearing a nightgown. He sighed and continued to take watch on the Beifong estate. He was certain the scroll was in there...but where? Suddenly, the light from the hall turned on. Kazu could see the silhouettes of two people. He waited for them to come up the stairs, but they didn't. Instead, he heard a shrill voice echoing down the stone walls. _

_"Don't even talk to me!" it called. Kazuhiro's eyes widened. It was the girl from the night before. _

_"Your mother and I are just trying to protect you!" he heard a man shout. His voice was deep, but harsh._

_"So you replace my door with metal?" she wailed. The silhouette grew larger as she moved closer. _

_"Those caves are dangerous!" _

_"I have to go somewhere to practice!" She retorted. _

_"That isn't the point!" he snapped. "You disobeyed us again! This can't keep happening! You can't just go anywhere you want to go!" _

_"Why not?" she yelled. "Why can't I just go outside like every other kid?" _

_"Toph, we've been over this."_

_"I'm good enough, Dad! I've been practicing earthbending for years and I'm really really good at it!" She flung her arms into the air, making her way down the hall. "You've seen our demonstrations, I'm the best in the class! I can kick the butts of anyone there!" _

_"Toph! Don't speak that way! You are a proper-" He said following her. _

_"No! I'm not! I'm not proper! I'm not dainty! I can talk how I want and I can take care of myself!" _

_"You think you're strong and tough but when you leave this place you'll see! You'll see how nasty the world is and then you'll learn the hard way!" _

_"At least then I would learn something!" _

_"Master Yu has been teaching you many things." _

_'"Master Yu doesn't know diddle about earthbending! He doesn't know anything about anything! You know who taught me?" _

_"Toph..." _

_"The badgermoles!" _

_"I've heard enough!" the man shouted. "No daughter of mine is going to go around playing in the dirt!" _

_Toph was quiet. "Maybe if I could go to school..." _

_"You know that's impossible." _

_"I don't think it is." _

_"I've given you my answer many times now." Kazuhiro felt the energy in the man's voice change. "If the circumstances were different...if you weren't..." _

_"Blind?" she said coldly. He blinked. The girl...couldn't see? Suddenly it made sense. Why she noticed him when no one else did. She didn't see him. She couldn't see him. Did that mean she was actually blind? "I can see just fine,"_

_"You can't do things like other children!" he said. _

_"I could if you gave me a chance!" _

_"Toph! We're done talking about this!" _

_"But it's not fair!" she shouted. _

_"Not fair? Not fair! I gave birth to you!" he rebutted. "I feed you, give you clothes to wear and a place to sleep! You have it much better than most and you think that's not fair!" _

_"And so you keep me hidden away for the rest of my life! Those are great parenting skills!" Kazuhiro watched as the silhouette began to disappear. "I'm going to bed." _

_"Toph? Toph! Come back here!" Slam! The door swung shut. Kazuhiro cringed at the loud sound. There was a pounding for a while. "Open this door right this instant! I mean it young lady!" The girl didn't comply. She let her father run out of steam as she leaned against the door. Kazuhiro couldn't see the silhouette anymore. He sighed. No wonder she was so eager to get out. He shook his head. No, he thought. He had to get the Gaoling scroll. He couldn't keep the other guys waiting. Toph walked into her room, her face melancholy. Suddenly, her eyebrows lifted. _

_"Who's there!" She asked, spinning around. Kazu slapped himself. It was over. There was no way he was going to get past her now. He climbed through the window, perching on top of it. _

_"Um...hey." _

_"Kamikaze?" She said, walking towards the window. Her eyebrows flattened. "You've been here a while, haven't you?" _

_"I just..." _

_"Whatever. I don't need your pity." _

_"No, no! I just..." he looked out the window, then back at her. He wasn't sure what he was doing. It was as though he was possessed by something. He should have just left then but...he couldn't just leave her there after that. "Do you...want to go somewhere?" _

_Toph tilted her head. "With you?" _

_"Y-yeah s-sure...unless you don't want to." _

_"Wait. You...want me..." she walked closer to him. "To follow you, a thief, into the dark with no adult supervision?" She turned her head slightly toward the door, feeling her parents downstairs. She held out her hand. "Yeah. I'd be up for that." _

_"Cool." He reached over and grabbed her hand to take it. _

_"Cool," she said, giving it a firm grip. _


	8. The Blind Bandit

**Avatar: The Last Airbender (c) Nickelodeon/Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko**

**Kazuhiro Tatsumaru and other original characters (c) Me**

_CHAPTER SEVEN: The Blind Bandit _

Toph rocked back and forth on her chair, pushing with her feet against the wall. Sokka looked over at her flat expression. Was she thinking or just bored? He couldn't tell. He looked over toward Kazu, who was shoved in the dark corner, wearing a straw hat that covered his face. He was keeping his head down. Sokka rested his hand on his chin. It was strange enough that Toph actually _wanted _to come back to Gaoling to see her parents, but it was even more strange that she never let Kazu show his face in the town. She never let him out of her sight. _I guess that's understandable... _he thought. _Considering..._

"This is a nice place," Suki said interrupting his thoughts. "Are there a lot of restaurants like this here?"

Toph nodded. "This is a tavern compared to some of the restaurants here," she explained, continuing to push on the wall. "But that's the difference between wood and marble for ya."

"I don't think I've ever actually been inside a building like this here," Kazu expressed, looking up. He held his cup of tea in his hand.

"So, Toph," Suki tried once more to connect with the earthbender. "This is where you grew up, huh?"

"Yup," she replied, spitting into the corner.

"Toph's family is kind of a big deal around here," Aang explained, who was sitting next to Katara across the table.

"Toph's family is a big deal everywhere..." Kazu corrected. He took a sip of his tea but recoiled as it burned his tongue. His eyes bulged and he let out a yelp. Toph stopped rocking and leaned across the table.

"Stop making a scene! Do you want everyone in Gaoling to know you're here?" she snapped. Kazu held his tongue and pouted.

"But it's hot!" he complained.

"You're supposed to be inconspicuous! Not a pansy!"

"And _why _is that again?" Katara asked.

Kazu frowned. "It's a long story." He looked over at Toph, who was scowling with annoyance. He whispered something to her as the tavern owner came up to the table.

"Are we all done here?" the tavern owner asked. They told him they were, and he took their plates. He stopped, turning around. "You kids from out of town?"

"Yeah," Suki said. "We're just visiting. Your town is lovely, by the way. I could spend days here!"

"Haha! Well, thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying yourselves." He took the plates over to the kitchen.

"All I mean is that you might change your mind about it..." Kazu continued to whisper.

"Change my mind? Are you nuts? I'm not moving back in with my parents!" she whispered back, sternly.

"I didn't say that!"

"It's gonna be hard enough just saying hello!"

"I know, but a couple hours isn't enough to catch up on three years of absence."

"A couple hours is all I could _stand _to sit in that house!"

"Alright here's the bill," the owner came back. "Hope the food was up to your standards." Kazu and Toph stopped arguing as he passed. He leaned over to Sokka. "What's got them all worked up?"

"Oh," Sokka said. "Toph has to go home and see her parents."

"And she only wants to stay a few hours," Kazu crossed his arms.

"What did I say about talking in public!" Toph snapped. "Shut your trap, Kazu!"

"Parents huh?" The owner put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "Yeah that's a tough one. What are their names? Maybe I know them."

Toph's eyebrows lifted as she sunk back into her chair. "I don't think you know them."

"Really? I never forget a name. It's part of our hospitality rule. Odds are they must have come in here at least once." He grinned. "Come on, Girly. I ain't a crook or nothin."

Toph sighed, not looking up. "Beifong." The man looked at her incredulously. She could feel his doubt. "My name is Toph Beifong." But the man didn't say anything. Instead, he burst out laughing.

"Haha! Sure it is, Kid. And I'm the Earth King's pet bear."

"Huh?" Aang said. "No, it's true! Toph tell him-"

"It's okay Aang," she said flatly. "The guy saw straight through me." She smiled. Aang and the others all sat there, dumbfounded. "Thank you, Sir. But I think I'll find my parents on my own."

"Hey, no problem, Kid." He picked up the bill from the table. "You know what? This one's on the house."

"Really? Thanks man!" Sokka shouted with glee.

The man nodded and began to walk away. "You know it's funny, for a second there I actually believed you." He walked off, chuckling. "What a cutie."

"Toph!" Aang said as soon as he was certain the man was gone. "Why did you say that? Your parents are-"

Toph shook her head and stood up. "It wasn't that big a deal," she said. She gave a wide grin. "I don't like being associated with my parents all the time anyway." But her grin was too wide, too wrinkled, as though it took every ounce of her strength to plaster it on. She let everyone pass her before she allowed her face to relax into a small frown. What was she expecting? She began to regret her decision to come here, but couldn't turn back now. If she was going to face this thing head on, she would have to face all of it. And on top of all that, there was Kazu, who needed her to be in her best state of mind. She couldn't allow herself to get worked over the tiniest thing. If she was going to prove to her mother and father that she was mature, then she would have to act it. That was all she could do. The rest would be up to them.

_Kazu tiptoed into the black room. This time for sure. This time he would do it. He leaped out of sight, making as little noise as possible. If she was asleep, victory was assured. He crept past the stone floor and into the corner. He could scramble up into the scaffolding, but no that didn't work last time. He shook his head, no. Failure was not an option. He got half way across before a stone flew out of the ground and knocked him across the room. He collapsed onto the ground, wincing in pain. It was over. _

_"You call that stealth?" Toph's voice called into the night. "I could feel your footsteps from downstairs! THUNK...THUNK...THUNK..." _

_Kazu chuckled. "Man...I thought for sure I would get you this time." _

_Toph jumped down off her bed and helped him up. "Hundreds of times you've tried and failed and you still think you can get past me?" _

_"I will one of these days!" _

_"Sure you will," she said sarcastically. She jumped up to the window, stripping off her nightgown to reveal a pair of pants and a tunic. "So where are we going tonight?" _

_"Dunno," Kazu shrugged. "I've already seen pretty much everything there is to see around here." _

_"Then let's go..." she thought for a second. "Underground!" _

_"No way! Are you crazy?" Kazu said. "That's where the weird people hang out." _

_She gave him a knowing smirk. "And you're not weird?" _

_"Shut up!" he shouted. "It's different, okay? I've never even been down there." He put a hand to his chin to think, but was interrupted by the growling of his stomach. "Aw man." _

_"What?" _

_"Nothing I just..." His stomach growled again, this time even more ferociously. "Nevermind." _

_"Haha! Wow I can feel your stomach's vibrations even stronger than yours!" Toph teased. "You should get something to eat." _

_"I can't!" he said. "The market's closed and I can't pay." _

_"So steal from a house...they don't need it." _

_Kazu frowned. "You sure take this whole thieving thing lightly." _

_"Don't you?" _

_"No!" He sighed. "Look, whatever. I'm sure I can find something somewhere. We should get going if we want to have time to do anything." He held out his hand and she grabbed it as they leaped out the window into the cool night. _

_Kazu waited on the roof of the house, watching as the people under him paced back and forth. Toph clutched his arm, frustrated. _

_"I don't get it, what's supposed to happen?" she asked. _

_"You'll find out," Kazu explained. "Just be patient." _

_"Ugh!" Toph groaned. Suddenly she heard a rustle coming from below. "Wait! Wait, what's happening?" She began to shake with excitement, gripping Kazu tighter. _

_"Shh...calm down." _

_"Is the guy opening the box?" _

_The people below mimicked the actions of Kazu's words. "Yeah, he's opening the box. He's reading the note on the front." _

_She could feel the man below suddenly begin to jump up and down, up and down. "I won?" he finally said. "I WON!" The man began to dance a jig, which made Toph laugh. "Did you hear that world? I won a thousand gold pieces! Oh man...oh man!" _

_"He's really stupid isn't he?" Toph asked. _

_"Shh!" Kazu shushed her again. "He's opening the box." _

_"What to do..." he man said gleefully as he cut open the wooden crate. "With my one thousand...AHHHH!" he jumped as he saw what they had put in there instead. It was a dead rat. Kazu and Toph laughed from on top of the roof as the man ran out of the yard. _

_Kazu could barely breathe he was laughing so hard. "Haha! Oh man...Haha! Did you hear that scream? That was awesome!" He said, punching Toph in the arm. Suddenly he recoiled, knowing that hitting girls was not something well looked upon. "I'm so sorry!" he shouted. "I didn't mean...I wasn't thinking!" Toph's eyebrows were lifted in shock. She sat there for a while before taking it in. A smile crept across her lips. She began to laugh again as she socked him square in the arm herself, knocking him over in the process. Kazu let out a chortle as he brought himself back up to a standing position. _

_Toph's laughter settled down and they sat there in silence, taking in the city. "This must be what it's like," she finally said. _

_"Huh?" _

_Toph blushed. "N-nevermind."_

_"What?" _

_"You know...to..." She swallowed hard. "To have a friend." _

_Kazu's cheeks turned pink, though it was masked in the darkness of the air. "Oh. Yeah, maybe. I dunno really." _

_"Guess thieves can't really have friends, huh?" she said. "It's okay. At least you have an excuse." _

_"If it bothers you so much, why don't you try harder at school and stuff?" _

_"I don't go to school." _

_Kazu shook his head. "You know. The earthbending academy." _

_"I don't want to go back there." Toph crossed her arms. _

_"Why?" _

_"Yu is a stupid idiot!" Toph shouted. "He teaches us things that I learned when I was six years old! It's not that it's a bad class, I guess...it's just that I don't belong in it!" _

_"I see." _

_"And my parents still don't let me go outside. It's a miracle you can even get into my house!" She folded her arms and faced him. "Don't you get it? That's why I have to run away with you! I have to get out of this place!" _

_"But your mom and dad would miss you wouldn't they?" Kazu said solemnly. "It doesn't seem fair to them." _

_Toph groaned. "Yeah, well, you've never met my parents." She frowned. "They probably wouldn't think anything of it. They'd be glad to get rid of me." _

_"I don't think so." Kazu looked down, pensively. "I think they love you." _

_"They want to love me. They just...don't know how." She shook her head. "Anyway, the point is I can't make friends because..." she stopped. "It just doesn't work, okay?" _

_"Okay." He grinned. "Then I guess the life of a thief is the life for you!" _

_"You mean it?" Toph said excitedly. "Okay, but I need a cool name. Something that will make everyone who hears it beg for their lives!" _

_"It's theft, not dictatorship." _

_"Whatever!" she stood up. "I still need one!" _

_"Haha! Okay..." Kazu thought hard for a moment. "What do you want to call yourself?" _

_"I can't give myself a name, stupid. You have to pick one for me." _

_"Me?" _

_"Yes you! I gave you a name, so you have to give me one!" _

_Kazu scratched his chin. "I...I don't know. I can't really think of one." _

_"And Kamikaze is a great nickname so it better be a good one!" She said, getting into his face. "Got it? Something like...I don't know just think of something!" _

_"What? Like...The Blind Bandit?'" Kazu suggested. _

_Toph took it in. "The Blind Bandit..." She smiled. "Oh I like that, Kazu! I like that a lot!" _

_"Really?" He blinked. "Are you sure? I can keep thinking until I come up with something better." _

_"It's all dark and mysterious! And it sounds tough! It's perfect!" She punched him hard in the arm. "Look out world! Feel the wrath of Kamikaze and the Blind Bandit! Haha!" She put her hands on her hips and smiled down at him. Kazu grinned back at her. If this was what it was the closest thing he would ever have to a friend, he figured, he would be satisfied. Suddenly, There was a noise coming from down below the roof. A man ran down the street, being chased by flames on torches and black figures carrying them. Toph could hear and feel the terror and flattened her eyebrows. She focused her energy that way. _

_"My dad says the Fire Nation is trying to take over everything" she said solemnly. Kazu stiffened. "They've been forming groups and attacking nearby villagers and stuff. He thinks it would be better if we just...took them all out." _

_Kazu gulped. "What about you?" _

_She shrugged. "I don't know about this stuff. But I think that if someone wants to hurt you...then you fight them don't you?" _

_Kazu nodded, trying hard to keep his breathing and pulse under control. He wasn't mad, but rather melancholy. Either way, she would know exactly what he was feeling without him saying a word. He was surprised he had kept the truth a secret for so long. "Yeah...that makes sense." _

_"Yeah," she said. She looked over at Kazu, who she could tell was feeling uneasy. "Everyone says they're bad people. But...they said thieves were bad people too..." she smiled. "And you're not a bad person. So I guess I just don't know for sure." _

_"...Toph...there's something..." Kazu hugged his knees. "I need to tell you." _

_She sighed. "It's okay, Kazu. I know you aren't going to really let me run away with you." Kazu's eyes shot to her in surprise. "But thank you for hanging out with me anyway." She punched him again. "I'm glad you decided to rob my house." _

_Kazu blushed and grinned. "I'm glad you stopped me." He looked out toward the moon, hoping that moment would last forever. There was something in the stillness he couldn't quite place. It was quiet, serene. For once, he didn't feel the need to hide or run away. Maybe, he thought to himself. Maybe this was what peace was like. _

She pressed her palm against the door. She could feel the vibrations coming from inside. They were in there for sure. She backed up a little ways, a twinge of guilt and fear washing over her. There was nothing there, she assured herself, that she needed to be afraid of. The greatest earthbender in the world would certainly be able to handle her own parents. She could sense the empty lawn behind her. It felt like it expanded forever with no end. Everything had regressed to how it was before. She didn't want her friends to come with her, though. It was a good thing she was alone. She sighed. And Kazu would be safer if he was with them.

She brought her attention back to the door as she inhaled deeply. This was it. The moment of truth. She leaned forward and pushed on the door. She couldn't feel any guards anywhere, but that was probably because they were all underground. She held her breath and entered the long marble hallway. Her toes began to tingle. Absolutely nothing had changed. The furniture, from what she could feel, was in the exact same location as she left it. She figured they would at least have done some remodeling while she was gone. But that wasn't important right now. She took in another deep breath and called into the space.

"M-Mom?" She inched further inside. "Dad? I'm home."

There was nothing for a while, but she could still feel them inside so she didn't move. Suddenly, there was a rustle from the other side of the room. There was a movement, then a voice. "T-Toph?" The voice was followed by footsteps, pattering against the solid rock.

"Poppy..."

"No! I heard her this time! I promise!" Toph stiffened as she felt her mother rush into the room where she was standing. Her heartbeat was racing faster and faster. What would she do? What would she say? The woman stood there, staring at her daughter, tears forming in her eyes.

"Hi Mom."

She sniffled before running into the room, her heart about to burst. "Oh, my darling!" She ran to her daughter, wrapping her arms around her and sobbing like a babe. She collapsed to the floor and kissed her feet, despite the fact that they were covered in dirt. "Lao! Lao come quickly!" She called to her husband. "It's Toph! She's come home!"

A taller man with broad shoulders entered the room next. He was about to speak, but was caught off guard by the sight before him. His tongue tied in a knot as he stared into her blank eyes.

"Hi Dad."

The man didn't say anything but slowly approached his daughter. She stood her ground, feeling his vibrations get closer and closer. She flinched, not knowing what he was going to say or do. But when he wrapped his arms around her tightly, she couldn't figure out why. She thought he would have been angry or cold or something. But he didn't seem to hold anything against her. She felt her chin drop. Never had she received such love from her parents in this way. _Maybe they really have changed, _she thought.

"Look at you!" Poppy finally said, taking Toph by the hands. "You're absolutely filthy! Come, let's get you a nice hot bath. Would you like some tea? Or cookies? Or...oh gosh I just don't know what to do!" She ushered her to a maid in the house and told her to clean Toph up and give her something clean to wear. Toph didn't protest, although taking a bath was the last thing she wanted to do. She followed the maid to the bathroom.

"And remember you must lead her carefully!" her father called. Toph frowned. She would go along with it for now, but only until she told them what she had been doing with her life. Then they would finally see how competent she really was.

Toph wiggled around in the tight dress her parents had picked out for her. She had certainly gotten bigger since her last visit, so everything that was once too baggy, now sucked her in like a tornado. It was fine, she supposed, except a single movement from her arms and her muscles could just burst right through.

"I do hope everyone has been taking good care of our precious little girl," Lao said, trying to sound sincere. "Running away from home. I don't know why you would do such a crazy thing."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," Toph explained calmly. "I wanted to help the Avatar so-"

"Toph, you knew how dangerous the Fire Nation was! Still very well could be!" he retorted.

"Well, yeah but..." She picked up a knife from the table. "Did you see what I can do now?"

"Toph! Toph put that down this instant!" Poppy screamed.

"Relax, Mom. I do this all the time." She put her hand on the blade and bent it backwards. "I even started a Metalbending academy where I teach-"

"How many times do I have to tell you _not _to play with sharp utensils!" Lao snapped. "You could get hurt doing things like that."

Toph brushed it off and chuckled. "Dad, I took on the Fire Nation army. One little knife isn't that big of a-"

"The Fire Nation?!" Poppy gasped. "What in the world were you doing fighting the Fire Nation?"

"Didn't you hear me?" Toph asked, getting slightly annoyed. "I said I left Gaoling to help Aang. The Avatar. I taught him how to earthbend."

"After we explicitly told you not to," Lao reminded her.

Toph blushed. "I'm sorry...I just..."

"But it's alright now, Darling," Poppy said with a smile. "You've come home now and the war is over. So we never have to worry about you fighting again, right?"

Toph bit her lip. "No no. You don't understand. I'm not staying here."

Lao's face darkened. "What?"

"I have students back at the academy waiting for me to teach them. See, that's what I've been trying to tell you. I have a job now and even my own place. I'm doing just fine on my own." She sighed, knowing the answer to her next question. "Aren't you proud of me?"

Poppy froze, unsure of what to say next. "Um...of course we are, Dear. It's just...well..."

"You are too young to be living out on your own," Lao interjected. "A child like you should be protected and under constant supervision."

Toph's eyebrows flattened. "A child...like me...I'm fifteen years old."

"You know what I mean."

"I can't believe it," she said in a hushed tone. "I did all of this...I finally proved that I was independent, and you still don't get it."

"You just can't see how...delicate you are," Poppy tried to explain. "We just don't want you to get hurt." She took her tea in her hand. "That's why we gave you earthbending lessons in the first place."

"But you wouldn't even listen to Master Yu."

"Oh?" Toph fumed. "You mean the guy you hired to _kidnap _me?"

"We had no choice!" Lao stood. "You made a foolish decision and we were trying to protect you before something happened!" He walked around the table. "Can you honestly tell me we should have just trusted the Avatar with our one and only daughter? You need to stop living in the fantasy world and wake up."

"She's always been quick to trust..." Poppy said, giving Toph a knowing look. Toph could feel her vibrations, a blush creeping across her face. No, not a blush. A flush of anger.

"And you're so quick to dismiss anyone who might want to be my friend!" she snapped back. "Anyone who might want to help me!"

"Like who, Toph? The Badgermoles?"

Toph grit her teeth. "Yeah. Like the Badgermoles."

"Those creatures were nothing but filthy tunnel diggers. They could have crushed you in an instant."

Toph shook. The memory flying back into her head. "Do not disrespect the masters of earthbending." She slammed her foot in the ground, causing the stone beneath her to crack.

"My daughter! You must control your temper!" Poppy shouted. "Lao do some-" But her husband was already nose to nose with the girl.

"I did what I had to do!" he shouted.

"They were harmless!" Toph snapped back. "They were wise and gentle! They took care of me!"

"I'm done with this, Toph. We've exhausted this topic."

"They didn't deserve to die!"

"That's enough!" Lao announced. "You are too young to understand such things yet. Since being with ruffians your temper has gotten far out of control." He turned around. "Which is why I've decided just now to finally take you up on your request."

Toph tilted her head to the side. "My...request?"

"Yes," he said. "If you are so against living at home, I have no choice but to allow you to attend school." He leaned forward, looking her in the eye. "Etiquette school."

The young earthbender shook her head in disbelief. "Etti-what the heck is that?"

"Starting tomorrow you will be attending a school that will teach you how to be a proper lady. Hopefully then you'll get all of this nonsense about running away out of your head."

"I'm not going to school!" Toph protested. "I-I teach at a school already!" She directed her energy toward her mother. "Mom, tell him how ridiculous this is!"

"Lao maybe...school is too much for her-" Poppy protested. But this only made Toph angrier.

"No! No that's not what I meant at all! Don't you get it? I'm fifteen years old! I have a job and friends and a life now! You think I'm gonna give that up just so you can make me your little porcelain doll again? Forget it!" She sighed. "I thought if I told you everything I had been doing...you would finally let me be free to live my life the way I want to. But I was wrong. You've never thought about what was right for me. Just what was right for your image."

"Alright, wait. Let's just calm down," Poppy said. "We don't have to make this brash of a decision right away. You've obviously had a long trip and you're probably very tired." She looked at her husband. "Let's give Toph a couple of days to enjoy herself. After all, we're together again as a family. Isn't that what's most important?" She looked back at her daughter, putting her hands on her shoulder. Toph couldn't believe how reasonable her mother was being. "Now why don't you go to bed and sleep on it, okay?"

Toph shook her head. She had already stayed too long. She had to get back to Kazu. "But...I promised the others I would-"

"They must understand if it's for your parents." She smiled. "Please? We've had your bed made up ever since you left. I don't ever want you to feel like you don't want to stay in your own house."

Toph swallowed. She could always sneak out the window, check in with the others, then sneak back before her parents noticed she was gone. She smiled at her mother. "Okay just one night then." Suddenly, another sensation tickled Toph's feet. She cringed. It was all too familiar. Her toes curled.

"Ah yes, you came just in time," Lao said, approaching the figure. Toph's breathing became heavy.

"Always a pleasure to serve the Beifong family," the gruff voice replied. Toph growled as she recognized the voice and vibrations.

"Xin Fu," she muttered. She turned to face him. "What are you doing here?"

"He's been working for us as a bodyguard for the house. Ever since the break in all those years ago, you can never be too careful."

"But..." Toph stammered confused. "But he's the one who-"

"Yes," Lao said. "But he's changed, we promise. I've found that giving these people jobs and a place to stay helps them forsake their evil ways. Xin Fu is now one of our most loyal employees."

The beastly man approached Toph, his voice sickly sweet. "I do apologize, Miss Beifong. What I did to you was uncalled for. I was in a dark place in my life." He took her hand. "I do hope you can forgive me." He lifted her hand up and kissed it. Toph cringed.

"Don't touch me," she mumbled.

"Xin Fu is going to escort you to your room."

"What?" Toph tore herself away from him. "No way! I'll go by myself!"

"Toph! Don't be rude!" Poppy said. "Xin Fu, I apologize for my daughter's...brashness. She tends to be quick to trust, but not so to forgive."

"I understand," he said walking toward her. "I hope we'll be able to put the past behind us."

"Yeah...sure..." Toph said, uncertain about the whole thing. She leaned in. "But if you try anything, you're looking at a serious butt whooping, got it?"

He held out his hand. "I understand completely."

Toph didn't take it. "Fine then. Lead the way." Xin Fu dropped his hand and put it behind his back. He bowed to the Beifongs and walked out of the room, Toph following close behind. She kept her guard up. She knew as soon as he was out of their sight, his true intentions would shine through. Kazu would have to wait a little longer than expected.


	9. A Counterinsurgency

**Avatar: The Last Airbender (c) Nickelodeon/Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko **

**Kazuhiro Tatsumaru and other original characters (c) Me**

_CHAPTER EIGHT: A Counterinsurgency _

Toph followed Xin Fu's footsteps cautiously. A scowl implanted itself on her face. What was he doing there? She supposed it was possible that he was working in order to pay them back for the damage caused his kidnapping attempt all those years ago. Still, if that were the case, he was probably pretty sore about it. She knew she had to keep her guard up. She knew a trap when she felt one.

"This way," he said. He was heading into what seemed to be an archway. Toph froze. She knew where she was going now.

"Why are you taking me here?" She asked sternly. "You're supposed to be escorting me to my room, remember?"

"Ah, yes, your room," he said with a bitterness so thick Toph could hear the smirk on his face. "You haven't returned in over three years and you expect it is still here waiting for you. How like a child."

Toph grimaced. "Okay...fine. Point taken." She felt around. "But these are-"

"It's faster to go through the catacombs."

"...is it?" Toph said, unbelievingly. "I'm beginning to think my parents knew I was coming." She took a step forward and shivered. The ground was hard rock, but she could feel the bones of her ancestors rattle beneath the stone.

Xin Fu stopped for a moment, lighting a torch to light his way. "You have been here before then?"

Toph stiffened. "Yeah...once..."

"Then I won't wait for you." He turned around and began to walk again. "Hurry up. We're almost there."

"Yes Sir, Mr. Bossy Pants." She grumbled, following him in the darkness. A large pit began to grow in her stomach. The catacombs.

_Kazu trudged through the dirt, lugging a bag of mangosteens with him. He was late, much later than usual. And still his task wasn't completed. He sighed. How long was he going to keep this up? Sooner or later they were going to find out...Toph would find out. And then he would have to leave. He pushed through the bushes toward the light of a campfire. Black figures danced around the light as though commanded by strings. He felt himself growing the same around his body, his hands bound to his duty. What was he doing? Every second he spent with Toph, the more in danger she would become. He approached the figures and dropped the bag before them. _

_"Hey, it's the runt!" one of the men stood up and clasped their arm around Kazu's neck. "You're late. You better have something to show for it!" _

_"Cut it out! Shinyo!" the boy whined. "Lemmie go!" _

_Another kicked the bag, allowing the fruit to fall from the bag. He groaned with displeasure. "Mangosteen again? You couldn't snag something different?" Shinyo let go of Kazu and peered down at their food supply, a similar expression coming to his face. Kazu collapsed to the ground, attempting to regulate his breathing. _

_"You got one job and ya can't even do it right!" The other man said. "Just cause the boss is letting you slack off-" _

_"I'm not slacking off!" Kazu protested. "The time isn't right yet." _

_"Look at this, Kanta," Shinyo said with a smirk. "You think he even wants to make it to Ba Sing Se?" He picked him up by back of the collar. _

_"N-no! I do!" _

_"Then you better start pulling your weight around here!" Shinyo said. "That means getting us something better to eat than Mangosteens!" _

_"I'm doing the best I can," Kazu mumbled. "I'm real close, honest." _

_"You better be," a larger man said from the light of the campfire. Kazu shrunk as the others dragged him over and threw him before the large shadow. Kazu dared not look up, for fear he would only be forced back down again. "Time is running away from us, Kid. If you don't get the goods soon, we're the ones who are gonna pay." _

_"I-I'm sorry sir. I've looked everywhere. Are you sure it's in the Beifong estate?" _

_The man snarled. "Are you questioning my judgement?" _

_"What? No! No! I just-" He made the mistake. He looked up. A rough hand reached up and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. His breath was rotten from a lack of attention. It wrinkled Kazu's face as the man spat into his eyes. _

_"If it wasn't for me, you'd be sitting on death row right now!" He shook his head. "And this is how you thank me?" _

_"I'm sor-" _

_"I asked ya to do one simple thing!" _

_"I know but-" _

_"One," he leaned closer. " Tatsumaru..." He licked the plaque off his teeth, best he could. "Why isn't it done yet?" _

_"I...I keep trying to tell you I can't find it!" _

_"You're getting distracted," he narrowed his eyes. "You don't want the Fire Nation to get the Gaoling Scroll?" _

_"Y-yes of course I do-" _

_"You want them to lose the war?" He spat. "You're already a deserter, Kid. It wouldn't surprise me." He gripped him tighter. "If that were the case, though. You'd be on a boat back there right now." _

_"You can look yourself. There's nothing there," Kazu said, trying to maintain a serious tone through his trembling. "Maybe we should just forget about it-" _

_"Forget about it?" The man threw him to the ground. _

_"Oh, you're in for it now," Kanta whispered. _

_"Forget about the Gaoling Scroll?" Kazu looked up at the black figure towering over him. "And do what, win the war with a peace treaty?" The man kicked Kazu in the stomach before moving on. "Oh, Tatsumaru. You are yet a boy. In mind and soul. Your rotten parents filled your head with lies of peace." Kazu coughed up something and began to sit up. The man sighed, turning back to him, and picking him up. He smiled, brushing him off. "I can't expect you to understand right away. But in time, my Boy." He ruffled his hair. "You will see that this world cannot handle peace unless it is forced upon them. That is why we must have the Gaoling Scroll. It is our only chance of bringing down Ba Sing Se. And once the Earth Kingdom Capital is destroyed...victory shall be for the Fire Nation!" The gang cheered as Kazu pretended to smile. _

_Just then another man came running to the campsite. "Hey Boss!" He panted, his entire body covered with sweat. _

_"Ling. What news?" _

_"I've searched the Beifong estate. The boy is right, there is no scroll anywhere." _

_Kazu sighed. Perhaps he would get through this gracefully after all. The man called "Boss" frowned. "You are sure?" _

_"Yes. But sources tell me that the head of the Beifong Family knows where it is hidden." The man smiled as his Boss looked at him curiously. _

_"Why are you smiling?" _

_The man took out something from his pocket and tossed it to his Boss. The shadowed figure examined it. "A hairpin?" _

_"A child's hairpin." _

_Kazu's eyes bulged. "...no." _

_"Looks like Beifong has a little pride and joy." _

_"Impossible." Shinyo shook his head. "We've looked all over the records. Beifong and his wife don't have any children." _

_"Tastsumaru," The boss turned to the boy who was turning pale. "Why didn't you say anything?" _

_"I..." he bit his tongue. "I didn't..." _

_"Nevermind that!" Kanta interrupted. "We have an in! All we gotta do is make a trade." _

_"A...a trade?" Kazu trembled. He gasped. "Wait! Hang on! You're not gonna-" _

_"The Gods gave us the opportunity," Shinyo said. "Might as well take it." _

_Kazu shook his head. "No! No you can't do that!" _

_"Desperate times, Tatsumaru," his Boss retorted._

_"But-" the boy put his hands over his head. What was he going to do? He knew when they ran into Toph, they would have a much more difficult time than they were expecting. Considering the way they treated him when he spoke his mind... "What are you talking about?" He finally managed to speak coherently. "We may be thieves, but we are not kidnappers!" _

_"Do you have any better ideas, Kid?" Shinyo spat, knocking him to the ground. "Yeah, didn't think so." _

_"Sir," Kazu said approaching his Boss. "I can get the scroll. Beifong won't even know what hit him. We don't want the Earth Kingdom to know we have it anyway! This whole idea stinks." _

_"Oh yeah," Kanta groaned. "Take advice from the twelve year old." _

_"Please! Just let me try!" _

_"It would be a waste of time," Shinyo stated._

_"We just need it long enough to copy it. All the Earth Kingdom's government secrets lie within that scroll. There is no time for dallying with morals." He stood up. "Now go back to the Beifong's and scout out the girl. If you find her, come back and-" _

_"No." Kazu stood with his fists clenched. "I don't want any part of this." _

_"You would rather be sent back to the Fire Nation?" _

_He looked up, fire in his eyes. "I would rather put my head on the chopping block than do what you are about to do." _

_Shinyo grimaced. "That could be arranged," he said, charging toward him. _

_"Shinyo stop it. He's just a kid. He doesn't know what he's saying." He stared into Kazu's eyes. "What if we promise not to hurt the girl, huh?" _

_Kazu scowled. "You can't make that promise." _

_"WHY YOU LITTLE-" He reached up to smack him in the face, but Kazu leaped over him into a tuck in the air and began running the opposite direction. The other men started after him, but the Boss put up his hand in protest. "Wait. Something tells me, he'll be of more use than we think." _

_Kazu kept running. He didn't know what he was going to do. What could he do? Toph was in trouble and it was all his fault. He had to find the scroll. He had to warn the Beifongs. He didn't care if he would rot in prison the rest of his life, he would stop it. At whatever the cost. _

Toph kept walking, her feet recording every path in case she needed to escape. She knew in spite of everything, she needed to keep her guard up. Suddenly, she stopped. Her feet hitting a new material. She backed away slightly.

"What is it now?" Xin Fu turned around and glared into the black abyss. Toph traced her foot along the floor of the cave.

"Wood," she whispered. She stepped backwards. She knew it. He wasn't taking her to her room. It was a trap. She kept her feet firmly on the rock. "You know what, I think I forgot something upstairs. I'm going to go back and-" She turned around only to feel the earth begin to shake beneath her. The stone she was standing on began to rise as she stumbled back onto the wood, bent on not being crushed. She felt the rock slam up into the sky, forming a wall. _A Stone wall. _She smirked_. Is that supposed to scare me? _But as she felt the wood beneath her feet, she realized it wasn't just the wall. Two wooden doors were closing behind her. She made a break for it, but was caught by Xin Fu who tossed her to the other side of the room. She stood up, but was too late to get out before the wooden doors slammed shut. She panted, getting into her fighting stance. She may not have been able to bend, but she could still fight.

"Stone and wood," Xin Fu finally said. "Perfect defense system against both earthbenders and fire benders. The stone wall gives the facade of easy passage, while the wooden one is much thicker than it looks. The stone moves up and down only and cannot be pushed forward or backward. They must have been protecting something very valuable."

Toph grimaced and began charging toward Xin Fu. She slammed her foot into the ground, but nothing came to her. She sighed, realizing she really was on her own for this fight. "So that's it. You want a fight?" She smirked. "Well, you could have just asked."

Xin Fu laughed. "I'm not interested in fighting you, Toph Beifong." He lifted his eyebrows. "I want to break you."

It was Toph's turn to laugh now. "We'll see."

Xin Fu made the first move, attempting to aim for Toph's feet, leaving her unbalanced. She responded with a punch of her own in his gut. She landed, nearly breaking the wood as she did so. But he was quick and wrapped a whip around her leg, thrashing her to the ground in an instant.

He hovered over her, taking out a metal stick. "You may think you're the greatest earthbender in the world," he said. "But without your bending, you're just a little blind girl with an attitude problem!"

Toph kicked him in the face and managed to unravel herself from the whip. She charged at him once more, but he knocked her in the head with the metal rod. She fell to the floor again, holding her head in agony. That didn't stop her from forming an attack straight afterward. Her head still felt scrambled, however. It wasn't long before Xin Fu had the upper hand. He was bigger than her in every way. Without her bending, she couldn't hope to beat him. Her head continued to thrash as she tried to make a run for it. If she could find earth, any kind of earth...but there was nothing but a hallway of planks.

"I wish you could see the look on your face right now," Xin Fu said, taking a roundhouse kick to her face and knocking her back down. "Toph Beifong. The world's first metalbender. The greatest earthbender who ever lived."

"What do you want, Xin Fu?" she heaved.

"Me?" He chuckled. "I don't want anything. Your company is enough for me."

Toph shook her head. "Sorry to disappoint you, then." She backflipped and landed on his face, traveling back toward the door. "But I have somewhere I have to be." She ran toward the other side, knowing there had to be another way out. But all she could feel was wood everywhere. That is, until she felt Xin Fu behind her. She tried to defend herself by punching him, but he grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her, slamming her into the heavy wooden wall.

"Oh?" He said twisting it up. Toph let out a scream of agony. "But we've only just started. This is a little game I like to play. I call it..._Revenge._"

"Get off!" she squirmed.

"So you've heard of this game?" he said in a sinister hiss. "Good. Then we can skip right to the fun part."

_"Hey!" Kazu screamed, pounding on the front door of the Beifong estate. "Hey! Open up! It's really important I have to talk to someone who lives here please!" It was a stupid idea, but what else could he do? He would lead them there, hopefully when the guards were around. They would be arrested and then he wouldn't have to steal. The thought made him smile. But just as soon as it came, it was gone. No. He knew how this night was really going to end, but he didn't care. Fire Nation or not, he wasn't about to let the closest thing he ever had to a friend go. Not just yet. _

_"Kamikaze?" a voice called down. He froze. "What the heck do you think you're doing! You're gonna wake up my parents!" He looked up to see Toph jumping down from the window. _

_"That...was the idea, yeah." He grabbed her hand. "Listen, you have to get your parents to come out here." _

_"Why?" _

_"Because..." he sighed. "If you don't you're gonna be in big trouble!" _

_Toph frowned. "And if they found out I was sneaking out with a thief every night that wouldn't get me in trouble?" _

_"Ugh! You don't understand- we have to..." He looked at her, guilt starting to settle in. "Fire benders. They're coming." _

_Toph's jaw dropped. "Here?" _

_"Yes here! Now come on! We gotta go!" he pulled her. _

_But she knocked him away. "No way! I wanna feel em! I've never met a fire bender before!" _

_"Just listen, okay? You need to go somewhere it's safe!" _

_Toph crossed her arms. "Relax, Kamikaze. No one even knows I exist."_

_"They do! That's the whole reason-" he sighed. "Trust me, you don't wanna take a risk." _

_She shook her head. "If fire benders are really coming here, then our pathetic guards won't be any match for them. It's better if I stay and fight." _

_"No Stupid! " Kazu shouted. "You have to go tell your parents right now!" _

_"What? You don't think I can handle it?" she asked sternly. _

_"No, it's not that. Well...yeah kind of. But just because you've never even been around a fire bender before." _

_"So? I can still take em!" _

_"Toph! I'm serious! You don't wanna mess with these guys! They're bad news!" _

_Toph narrowed her eyebrows. "How do you know so much about it?" _

_"I need to get inside your house. I need to find the Gaoling Scroll. Do you know what that is?" _

_"Sure I do but-" _

_Kazu grabbed her by the shoulders. "Do you know where it is?" _

_"Um..." _

_"The entire safety of your family depends on my getting that scroll, Toph! You have to tell me!" He began to shake her. "Have you felt it anywhere? Any kind of paper scroll. Anything in your house...or in the garden..." _

_Toph shook her head. "No, not really." _

_Kazu sighed, dropping his hands. "Then we're doomed." _

_"Maybe not." She dropped down to the ground and felt the vibrations beneath her. "Do you know what catacombs are?" _

_"No clue."_

_"It's like an underground graveyard where rich people burry all of their ancestors. I dunno for sure, but you could check in there." _

_"What would a really important scroll be doing in a graveyard?" _

_"Beats me. But I guess we should check it out, huh?" _

_"Um...yeah I guess." She gripped his hand and dragged him away toward the catacombs. He felt his stomach become queasy. At least even if he didn't find the scroll, they would be safe from harm underground. _

Kazuhiro looked out toward the night sky. It was so calm and peaceful there, under the stars. Most everyone else had gone to sleep by now, but not him. He wanted to wait until he heard from Toph. But as the hours passed, he became more and more concerned for her. He wondered if she had decided to stay the night with her parents. He giggled at the thought. No, that would take a miracle even if they hadn't seen each other in all that time. He leaned back and stared at the cluster of stars above him. Stars that seemed to burn with the same ferocity no matter where you were looking at them. His mind drifted towards Toph. He promised he wouldn't go near the Beifong estate again, but something in his gut felt heavy. He couldn't place it. Perhaps he was just being paranoid. But then if something was wrong and he did nothing, that feeling would haunt him the rest of his life. He sighed. He didn't want to be creepy, but maybe if he just saw that everything was going well, he could actually get some sleep.

Toph slowly regained consciousness. She could still feel the vibrations all around her. She wiggled her arms, which were fastened behind her back. This was embarrassing, he had to get out of there.

"And so the monkey awakens from her nap," a voice hissed. "I've been waiting a long time for this."

"Xin Fu," she spat back. "You rotten piece of dung. You have to resort to cheap tricks in order to fight me."

"I told you, little girl. I don't want to fight you." He pulled out the metal rod. "I want to take back what is rightfully mine. The money you swindled from me!"

"The way I see it, it's you who owes my parents money for kidnapping me! Frankly, I'm surprised they even hired you after that! I would have tossed your butt in jail and been done with it."

He grimaced. "It's because of you I have to work in this god forsaken place for the rest of my life!" He snorted, lowering down towards her. "But it's alright, now. Because we're going to be spending a lot of time together."

"Fat chance," Toph jeered. "When my parents find out-"

"Who's going to tell them? You? No, I don't think so. Not unless you want them to lock you up for the rest of your life."

"They wouldn't do that!"

"Of course they would! Do you know why?" He got up and stuck the metal rod over a torch, as though roasting a marshmallow.

"What are you doing?" She could sense the metal growing hotter, even from over there. She tried to move it, but found this difficult when she couldn't touch it. She squirmed, but a foot kept her locked in position.

"Because they'll always see you as their blind, helpless little girl." He walked back over, rod in hand, and sat down over her, picking up one of her feet. "In a sense, I'm doing them a favor." Toph could feel herself growing tense as she kicked around. She knew what is plan was now. He held it tight as she could feel the heat circumventing the skin. It was getting closer.

"Let go of my feet!" she shook them trying to break free. But the heat kept coming forward. "Let go you-"

"They did say they wanted you to be more civilized. Maybe they just need to be more strict with the discipline."

"Ahhhh!" she wailed. The hot metal sizzled as it touched her skin, causing her entire foot to grow stiff. She didn't know where she was anymore, or what was happening, just that she wanted relief. She tried to pull away, but it was no use. The burn from the rod was too much for her to take. She she listened to her own screams, as though she were not the one making them. Everything disappeared in a blur. The vibrations were gone as Xin Fu dropped her foot with a thud. Only to pick up the other one. She panted, sweat dripping onto the wood. Or were they tears, she didn't know anymore. Pain had blinded her. Fear restrained her. The second blow hit searing the rest of her senses before stillness took over her being.


	10. The Gaoling Scroll

**Avatar: The Last Airbender (c) Nickelodeon/ Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko**

**Kazuhiro Tatsumaru and other original characters (c) Me. **

_CHAPTER NINE: The Gaoling Scroll_

Kazu adjusted his mask as he peeked around the corner. It didn't look like the place was heavily guarded, and even then he had made the trek so many times now he did not fear getting caught as much as he did in the past. He peered up toward Toph's window. It was dark. He should have taken that as a sign that she was asleep, but something deep in his gut kept lurching. He shook himself, saying he was being paranoid for nothing. However, he had come all that way, surely he could pop in and out without her noticing. He nodded to himself, taking the initiative to climb up onto the scaffolding. A guard passed by right under his nose, but he was able to dissolve into the shadows and reach Toph's window.

He stopped, feeling stupid. _Of course she'll notice you're here, dummy! _He reminded himself. He slapped himself in the face. He couldn't sneak up on her when they were kids, he certainly wasn't able to do it now. He looked into the dark room, nothing seemed to be moving. He closed his eyes, focusing his energy on the heat around the room. He placed his hand to the floor boards, which he noticed were now made of wood. He sensed for a sign, anything resembling body heat. But there was nothing. He frowned, making his way back to the window. He leapt down from the window onto the soft grass which was fresh with dew. He peeked through a couple windows, but he didn't see her anywhere. Did she leave already? He supposed he should just go back- but then he caught something. A heat source. It wasn't coming from a room, though, or even the yard. It was below him. His eyes widened. _No way. _He justified. _Not there. _But at that moment he just wanted to be sure. She could scold him later.

_"This way!" Toph shouted, dragging Kazu further and further into the darkness. _

_"Can't you like...light a torch or something?" he grumbled. _

_"You're the one who was in such a big hurry a few moments ago!" she shouted back to him. "Besides we're almost there!" The children ran until they reached their first obstacle, a blockade of solid stone. _

_"Great," Kazu droned. "How are we supposed to get past that?" _

_"You're the thief..." Toph said, crossing her arms. "You figure it out." _

_Kazu paced back and forth, examining the massive structure. "It doesn't make sense. Earth benders could get past this thing no problem." He placed his hands on his hips. "Even if I was able to scale the thing, there's no top." He walked closer. "There must be some secret code to get in or-" Suddenly, the ground began to shake as the wall began to lower into the earth. Kazu stared in astonishment as Toph dusted off her hands. Kazu's jaw dropped. _

_"You're welcome," the blind girl said as she hopped over the stone. "Maybe this place is designed so only an earthbender-" _

_"Look out!" Kazu shouted, grabbing Toph and pulling her to the ground as a metal spear shot through the air, barely missing her head. Kazu looked below him to see that he had triggered some sort of booby trap. "Looks like they were trying to trick us." _

_Toph felt around the ground. It wasn't stone anymore. "Wooden flooring." _

_"And metal spears," Kazu added. "Perfectly designed for an earthbender." He brought Toph back with him right before the wall started to close. _

_"Kazu!" Toph shouted. "The door!" _

_"Don't worry. I've done this kind of thing before," he assured. "Underground sanctions always have another exit." He examined the hall, wishing he had more light to go off of. He concluded then that he would have to use his dexterity and agility to get across. "Wait here," he told Toph. But they heard another rumble. "What was that?" _

_"Another door is closing!" Toph shouted. The wooden frames finally came into view closing off the others from the hallway. _

_"I'll go on ahead!" he called, running out of the way of the closing doors. "I'll come back for you when I have the scroll!" _

_"Wait!" She screamed as the door began to close on her. "You big dummy you'll get clobbered! Kazuhiro!" But the door slammed shut, locking her between the two. She put her hands on the wood, but couldn't really sense anything from the other side. She heard the spears whip through the air and crash into each other on the other side. "Are you okay?" There was no reply. "Kazu?" Her cheeks blushed pink. "Don't be a jerk! Answer me!" _

_"I'm going to try and set off the traps one at a time," Kazu finally replied. Toph sighed with relief. "Toph did you hear me?" _

_"Yeah, I heard you." _

_On the other side, Kazu was pressed up against the large wooden wall. His breathing was getting heavier and heavier. One false move, and he would be done for. He took a deep breath and focused his energy. Calming himself, he inhaled and lifted his foot, setting off the next spear to fly toward him. He flipped over it, setting off the second, which he also was able to evade. He managed to dodge the majority of them by running along the wall and rocketing over the spears. He finally reached the other side. _

_"See?" He called, hoping Toph could hear. "Piece of cake." _

_The girl growled in pretend annoyance. Just then, she felt something change. Vibrations. Her entire body stiffened. "Kazu..." she called back out to him. The vibrations were coupled with something else. Voices. _

_"Ugh," a gruff voice muffled through the wall. "This place gives me the creeps." _

_"The kid could be anywhere by now. Doesn't hurt to check." Toph held her breath. "Hang on. I'm picking up something." _

_"Is it a heat source?" _

_"Yeah. Hey! Tatsumaru? If that's you in there, you better come out right now or the boss'll be awful sore!" He pounded on the stone wall, sending shivers up Toph's spine. She could feel them. Firebenders. She focused her energy and managed to slam a rock into the man's face, sending him flying. _

_"Ow!" _

_"Idiot! That's not the kid!" _

_"How was I supposed to know that?" _

_"Hey!" they yelled, pounding on the stone door. "Who's back there? Come out and show yourself!" The pounding continued as Toph slunk back to the edge of the wooden wall. She didn't say a word. _

_"Calm down," the other man huffed. "We don't have time for this guy. We have to find Tatsumaru." His voice grew dark. "We find him, we find the girl." Toph growled. So these were the guys Kazu was talking about. "Let's keep moving." _

_"Right." There was a long pause before "You're one lucky son of a-" _

_"Shinyo." _

_Toph could hear him grumble as the men took off. She sighed, sliding down into a seated position on the floor. _

_Meanwhile, Kazuhiro entered the next room, one that looked like it was encased in jade. He marveled at the details engraved on the walls, the rich greens and yellows. He had never seen anything like it. There, he finally saw it. The Gaoling Scroll. He crept over to the podium where the scroll was being displayed. It was much smaller than he had imagined. He lifted up his robe and placed the ancient document in a bag around his waist. But as he had predicted, more traps were set as soon as he took it off the podium. Stalactites began to fall from the ceiling, crashing down with the intention of crushing him under the debris. He managed to dodge it and took off running toward the door. _

_"Toph! Are you okay?" _

_"I'm good. Did you get it?"_

_Kazu looked around at the flying wood all around him. "Yeah, pretty sure." He knocked on the door. _

_"The stone structure is becoming unstable!" Toph screamed over the rumble. "Kazu the door is going to fall! You have to run to the other side of the room!" _

_"What?" _

_"Just do it!" Kazu did as he was told, only to find that the door followed him down, crushing the floorboards and causing him to lose his balance. He watched as the torches around the area began to light, catching the walls and floor around him on fire. He cringed. _

_"Toph!" _

_"I can't move the stone wall! It's stuck for some reason!" she exclaimed over the flames. Suddenly, she could feel the area behind her become hot. "Kazu? What's going on over there!" _

_"Don't move!" he hollered. "Just wait for me. I'll be right there." He ran across the fire, only to find a wall of it blockading his path. _

_"Kazuhiro!" _

_"You have to lower the wall!"_

_"I tried! It won't budge!" _

_"Try again!" _

_Toph lifted her arms and began to push the stone, unable to budge it. "I can't! I'm not skilled enough yet!" She could feel the flames begin to get closer and closer. She turned around and started pounding on the stone. "Come on you big hunk of rock! Move! Move!" But the wall wouldn't move. "What do I do? It's not working!" _

_"Just hang on! I'm almost there!" _

_But she could feel the flames begin to reach her feet. She danced around them, trying to stop herself from getting burned, but the wall behind her prevented her from moving back farther. Kazu looked over, biting his lip. He had to do something. He couldn't just leave her that way. But..._

_"KAZUHIRO!"_

_Without thinking further, he took his stance, and inhaled, bending the fire away from Toph so it circled around in the air instead. She felt the ground around her become cold, the air growing warmer and warmer. She couldn't register what was happening. _

_"Now focus!" she heard him shout. _

_"Did you just-" _

_"Don't worry about the fire! Just concentrate on lowering the door!" _

_Toph shook her head to clear it. She took in a deep breath and directed her energy toward the vibrations. She needed to find the weak point of the mechanism. Just then, she sensed the space between the stone wall. That was it. She took her stance and punched the ground, causing it to ripple. She felt the stone brackets shatter beneath her as the stone wall began to fall over her and Kazu. She lifted her hands up, stopping it before it crushed them. Slamming her foot into the ground once more, she steadied herself and pushed the wall over, causing it to flop onto the other side. She panted as it hit the ground with a thud. _

_"...wow," Kazu said. "That was amazing." _

_Toph blushed as Kazu gripped her hand tightly, running with her through the catacombs. _

She couldn't feel anything. Even with the vibrations in her back, things that loomed in the air remained undetected. She had stopped squirming. Stopped resisting. Why was she acting this way? She wasn't weak. She wasn't proud. But her feet were scorned and scarred by the red coat they wore. Xin Fu didn't laugh. He just snarled angrily. She could feel the heat begin to brush her cheek. As she tried to move away from it, a rough hand grabbed her bangs and held them in place. The heat moved closer and closer, starting to singe her skin. She resolved to hold her breath and take the pain.

_Bang! Bang! Bang! _A loud knocking was heard. Xin Fu released her hair, dropping her to the floor as he investigated. The door banged again ashes began to break apart from the boards until finally one of them came loose. It flew by and smacked Xin Fu square in the stomach. After that one hit, came another. Then another. The air rose in temperature as Toph's face widened with disbelief.

"Toph!" the all too familiar voice shouted. She trembled as he lifted her up and singed her ropes so they fell to the ground. "What the heck is going on?"

"I..." she tried moving her feet, but there was nothing. Everything was black. "I can't see."

"What?"

Xin Fu stood up under the rubble, pushing himself up. "You little brat!" He screamed, coming towards Toph. A snake of fire conjured in the air to attack him. It whipped around him enough to give him burns.

"Let's go!" The voice shouted, grabbing Toph and running the other direction.

"Kazu..."

"It's not like before, right?" he called back to her. "There has to be some kind of secret exit somewhere." His feet smashed against the wood. "Once we get back to solid ground you can make a rock blockade."

"What are you doing here?" she protested. "You're supposed to be with Aang and the others!"

"Here we are," he said, slowing down. "This should be a good place to rest for a bit." He knelt down and lit a flame with his hand, examining her feet. "Aw man, that looks painful." He noticed a torch and threw a fireball at it, illuminating the space.

Toph was still trembling, unable to truly tell what was going on. Kazu reached over and touched her right foot. She immediately recoiled. "Don't! What are you doing?"

"The damage is pretty bad," he said solemnly. "It's gonna take a few days of healing. But it's nothing too serious."

"You need to go!" she finally said. "You can't stay here! I can take care of myself!"

"What did that guy even want?"

"Did you hear something?" a voice from the other side of the caves echoed. Kazu stiffened. "It sounded like it was coming from over here."

"Run!" Toph exclaimed as she grabbed Kazu and made a run for it, crashing into the side of the wall multiple times as she did so.

"Toph! Stop! Hold-will you just-"

"No time! You keep looking for an exit! We have to keep-" WHACK she ran straight into the wall again. "Moving."

"Just like old times," Kazu mused.

Toph scoffed. "Shut up."

Xin Fu's voice rang out from inside the cave. "He went that way. I tried to stop him, but he was too strong for me." Suddenly, Toph could hear footsteps thudding along the ground.

"Shoot. What do we do?" Kazu panted. He turned to face Toph, but in the shroud of darkness couldn't pick up on her expression. However, he could hear her breathing. Shallow and heavy, much like his, only laced with a heightened anxiety. "Toph? You sure you're okay?"

"I'M FINE!" She snapped back at him before tripping over a stone in her way. "Really." She placed her hand against the wall and pulled herself up. Kazu noticed her hugging it a little too tightly. He placed his hands on her shoulders and felt her body shaking.

"You can't feel anything?" Toph shook her head. He looked around. "There should be a jade door around here somewhere. This is where the Gaoling Scroll was. If we could find a way to set off the trap again-"

"I don't know how much has changed since then," Toph retorted. She slammed herself to the side of the wall, trying to sense the area. "Ugh. It's still fuzzy, but I think there's a door at the end of this long hallway."

"They must not be hiding anything of national importance down here," Kazu figured. "Then why keep the door in place?"

"I don't know."

_Snap! _Toph jumped. "What was that?"

"It came from the other side," Kazu explained. He looked over and saw flashes of light coming from torches. He felt his body tense. "Oh no." He let go of Toph. "Um...okay. Scale the wall until you find a rock to hide behind."

"Wait! What are you going to do?" She called back to him.

"I'm going to find the exit," he said as he rushed off. Toph sighed, knowing she wasn't very useful to him in this state, especially without any earth to bend. She inched around the other side of the long hallway, trying to remember where every rock was. Her mind reeled back to when she was a child, before she started learning how to feel the vibrations around her. Everything was a mystery back then. Nothing made sense, and one wrong move could be the difference between life and death. Her world was covered in a haze of black, unable to bring her any comfort or stability. And now with her feet completely burned, she felt more useless than anything. All she could do was sit there and wait until Kazu came back.

Toph continued to inch across the wood-paneled wall. She felt like she was going to be doing this forever when she finally heard footsteps running back to her. She sighed with relief as they slowed down when the reached her, taking her by the hand. But as soon as she touched the skin, she noticed something wrong.

"No-" she tried to let go but the figure grabbed her wrist and started to pull her back. She was no match for him in this condition, no chance she could have escaped. A horrifying thought popped into her head. "Where is he?" she demanded. "Where is Kazuhiro?" The hand threw her out into the arms of someone else. They were strong, but didn't hold her so tightly that she couldn't escape. They were loving arms. Protective.

"Dad?" she asked, touching his face. She felt the vibrations with her hands. It was indeed her father.

"Toph, thank goodness," he said, hugging his daughter close to him. She felt her mother's presence there too.

"You..." she stammered. "You came looking for me?"

"We heard some ruckus coming from downstairs," Poppy explained. "We wanted to investigate."

Toph rested her head on her father's shoulder. "I'm so glad it's you...I thought it was-"

"You found her," a deep voice came. Toph's whole body began to shake with anger.

"You!" she screamed, breaking away from her father. "Get away from me you-you-"

"Toph, calm down. Xin Fu only wishes to help," Poppy tried to explain. Toph could have none of it.

"Where's Kazuhiro?" she snapped. "What have you done with him?" She began to walk towards Xin Fu, without her ability to actually know where he is. "Tell me right now or this fist is going through your face!"

"Toph! Your feet! What happened to them?" Poppy exclaimed, lifting her hands to her face.

"He burned them..." Toph whispered maliciously.

"Who did?"

"The firebender, of course," Xin Fu said.

"He's lying!" Toph protested. "Can't you see it? He's the one who did this not-" Her eyebrows lifted. "Where is he?" She ran up to him and tried to attack him, only to he held by Xin Fu's massive hands. He brought her tightly to him.

"The thief was caught, my dear. You don't have to worry." She heard a thud shake the ground as Poppy gasped.

"Lao...that mask..."

"Yes, I see it."

"Kazu?" Toph asked. No response. "Kazu are you okay? Say something!"

"...Toph," he finally said. His voice calmed her.

"Fire Nation," the guard holding him said. He ripped the back of his shirt to reveal his tattoo.

"You...you're the one who burned the Gaoling Scroll," Lao said, approaching him. "And after all these years you've decided to come back, thinking we wouldn't remember."

"Have you come to kidnap our daughter again?" Poppy shouted.

"No! It's not like that!" Toph contradicted. "I...I let him in."

"I never forget a face," Poppy seethed. "You were there that night, I remember." She walked over and ripped off his mask. "Did you or did you not steal the Gaoling scroll."

Kazu didn't look up. "I did. But I never harmed your daughter."

"A war criminal," Lao said disdainfully. "You know the punishment for those actions around here."

Toph tugged, trying to get loose. "No! Please listen! It wasn't his fault!"

"Your daughter has been fraternizing with thieves," Xin Fu finally stated. "She doesn't understand that there is a price to pay for such a lifestyle!" He brought his lips to her ear. "Perhaps...we should demonstrate what happens to people who don't follow the rules."

The guard holding Kazu slammed his head down on the rock and pulled out a sword. Toph heard the thud, but was unsure of what was going on. "What are you going to do?" She yanked again.

"Xin Fu...I don't think that is necessary. He's only a child."

"Punishment is punishment, no matter what age you are," he hissed. He whispered in Toph's ear. "And this will be the ultimate punishment." He let go of one of her arms and drew a line across her neck. She broke away from him, slamming her foot into the ground and causing a rock to burst through the wooden flooring. She ran the direction she heard the thud and felt around before she could find Kazu's vibrations.

"Stop it! Kazu isn't a thief! He only stole the scroll to protect me!" She pointed in the direction she came. "He's the one you should arrest! He's the one who did this to me!" She lifted up her feet for everyone to see. The guard put down his blade and released his hand from Kazu's head. "Kazuhiro?" She called his name, grabbing his head between her hands. "Kazuhiro tell them."

"You did steal and burn the Gaoling Scroll?"

"Yes."

"Kazu!"

"Then that's all I need to hear," Lao said, motioning to the guards to take him away. "I do not wish to spill your blood on the bones of my family," he said harshly. "But you will receive punishment for what you have done."

"Dad! No! You can't do this!" she felt Kazu slip away from her without a word. Was he just going to go? Without a fight? She couldn't believe what was happening.

"No daughter of mine is going to become a thief!" he screamed. "If I can't teach you how to behave, perhaps you will learn by example." He nodded to the guards. "Take the boy to the prison ships. They will decide what to do with him from there."

Toph shook her head. "N-no. Wait! You don't know what you're doing! Please!" Toph bent down on her hands and knees. "Okay fine! I'll go to your etiquette school! I'll be a proper lady from now on! I'll never earthbend again! I'll be the perfect little girl that you want me to be I promise just please..." She lowered her head down to the hard wood. "Please don't take him away."

"Toph..." This was the first thing that caught Kazu's attention. He looked back at her, sorrow in his eyes. He couldn't find anything to say except, "Give my respects to the Avatar." And with that, he disappeared. His voice, his breath, everything was washed away with the sound of marching boots. Toph angrily clenched her fists, wanting to yell at him. To scold him. To tell him not to go away. For the second time in her life, she had lost.

_Toph and Kazu chuckled as they ran out the door into the moonlit sky. Kazu collapsed onto the grass, relishing in the cool wet ground. He sat up after a while and pulled out the scroll, unraveling it. It was all there. The documentation of the next attack on the Fire Nation, and the blueprints for security measures in Ba Sing Se. Toph stood over him, her arms crossed. What happened back there? Did she really feel what she thought she felt? Or was there something else going on? she had to be sure. _

_"Kazuhiro?" she asked. _

_"I have to get this back to camp," he whispered. He turned around, taking one last look at his friend. "Thank you. For your help I mean." He picked up the scroll and started to walk away. Toph called after him. _

_"So it's true?" she announced. Kazu turned to face her, but did not see destain or anger on her face. "You're from the Fire Nation? You're a firebender?" Kazu nodded, feeling the guilt pile up inside him. But Toph smiled. "Then I guess I have kicked a Fire Bender's butt." Kazu blinked, unable to form a proper thought. "You're really leaving then?" _

_"Yeah." _

_"Back to the Fire Nation?" _

_"Who knows." _

_Toph shuffled her feet, something she never did. "Wherever you're going, make sure you get there safe, okay? I don't want to have to come bail you out of trouble." _

_"I'll try to come back and see you." _

_Toph scoffed. "Please, by the time you come back to this dinky town, I'll be long gone. Probably traveling the world." She winked. "Maybe even as a thief." _

_"I'll look for your wanted posters." Kazu lowered the mask over his face. _

_Toph frowned, trying to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes. She felt him begin to take his final steps away from her. "Kazu I-" Her eyebrows lifted. There was something else too. "Kazu! Behind you!" The boy turned around but was too late as the metallic bolas flew through the air, wrapping around his feet. He tugged on them, trying to singe them off, but it only made the metal melt. Toph felt the thud and started to rush toward him, but only when she felt another bolas ricochet off of a figure. She moved a rock up to block it. _

_"Hey look, guys," a voice echoed into the darkness. "Tatsumaru finally found himself a playmate." Kazu looked up to see Shinyo and Kanta looking down at him. "Thanks for making our job so much easier." _

_"Leave him alone!" Toph shouted, running down the hill. She conjured two giant spikes to knock them both down. _

_"Careful!" Ling's voice shouted over the hill. "The girl's an earthbender!" _

_"You're darn right I'm an earthbender!" she exclaimed gleefully. Kazu looked down at his feet and managed to melt the metal just enough to break out of it. "An earthbender who's gonna kick your butt if you don't give me back my friend!" _

_"Friend?" Kanta laughed. "I'd be more worried about you, little girl." He inhaled and blew his fire around her, completely encircling her in flames. _

_"Wait!" Kazu shouted, pulling out the scroll. "Look! I have the scroll! I got it! You don't have to do this!" _

_"Oh lay off it, Kid! How do we know you weren't just gonna take the ransom for yourself so you could escape!" He turned to face the wall of flames. "Did you hear that? Your little hero is a thief and a liar!" Kazu kicked Kanta in the face, but was knocked down almost immediately. "He's a spy from the fire nation. An army deserter...pathetic." Toph's face grew hard as she focused as hard as she could on the earth around her. She slammed her feet into the ground, lifting her hands as the rock lifted with her high up over the flames. She scowled as she leapt over the wall of fire. _

_"I. Don't. Care!" She shouted, landing firmly in the ground. So much so that she made an imprint. "That's my problem. Not yours." Kazu looked over and noticed the scroll. He kicked himself away from Kanta to grab it only to be stopped by Shinyo, who snatched it up in his hands. _

_"I'll take that," he said mockingly. He grabbed Kazu by the hair and threw him into the fire. _

_"Kazuhiro!" Toph tried to stop Shinyo, but was too distracted her from the fight she was already having. Kanta was able to grab her arm and pull her up so her feet couldn't touch the floor. She wiggled and squirmed, but couldn't break free. She could no longer feel the vibrations around her. "No!" _

_Kazu was thrown in the midst of the inferno. He tried to gather the flames, but there were too many of them. Shinyo appeared before him. "You wanna fight, Kid? I'll give you a fight." He kicked and caused more flames to come out of his body. Kazu dodged, sliding across the ground in order to stop himself from falling into the fire. "This is what happens when you get attached to your work!" This time, the flame hit him and knocked him down. He struggled, but had a difficult time getting back to his feet. "The boss lets you off easy cause you're just a kid. But I know better." He stepped on his shoulder, pushing him over. He readied his final blast. "You're weak." He opened the scroll. "And you almost let the entire mission fail because of it." _

_Toph shouted again, trying to bust free. "You big bullies! Why don't you just leave him alone!" _

_"Shut up, Girl," Kanta moaned. "He's ours to do with as we like." _

_"Why? That's not fair!" she squirmed. _

_A giant rock flew through the air and hit Kanta in the back of the head, causing him to drop Toph. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she could feel it. "Master Yu!" she shouted. She felt the ground below her, two others were right behind him. Toph could hardly hold back her tears. "Mom...Dad..." _

_"Toph!" Her mother reached out her arms to her daughter and embraced her. "What happened? Are you alright?" _

_"I'm fine, Mom." _

_"Fire benders..." Lao's eyes narrowed. _

_"Here?" Poppy said in astonishment. "But why?" _

_"To kidnap your daughter, of course," Master Yu concluded. _

_"Kazu!" Toph called, running back into the flames. Her mother held her back. _

_"No! You must stay here, Darling. Where it's safe!" She shook her head. "Whoever created those flames deserves to die in them." _

_"Shinyo! They caught us! Get the kid, and let's get out of here!" Ling announced over the blaze. _

_"What about Kanta?" _

_"Forget Kanta! We have the scroll! Let's bail!" _

_Kazu could hear the others through the fire. The bright colors made him feel blind, but he had learned that he didn't need to see in order to fight. Shinyo grinned a sour grin and began to walk off with the scroll, leaving Kazu there to burn. However, Kazu, with his last bound of strength, kicked his leg up and knocked the scroll out of his hand. The parchment went flying before it landed in the fire, scorched by the hot cinders. _

_"No!" He screamed, trying to pick up the ashes. "Idiot! Look what you did!" _

_Kazu stood up, his mask lowered over his face. "You people give the Fire Nation a bad name." He spat on the ground before feeling Shinyo's hands around his neck. "We don't deserve control of the world." _

_"I oughtta-" but he relaxed as soon as he saw the flames begin to release. "No...I'll just let the Boss deal with you." He took him by the shirt and started to drag him away. _

_As the fire began to depart, Poppy could see the remnants of a mask articulated by the light. She became horrified and pulled her daughter away. But as soon as it was there, it was gone again. Toph gasped as she suddenly couldn't sense Kazu anywhere. Or any of the firebenders. They were gone. Everything was gone. _


	11. Healing Water

**Avatar: The Last Airbender (c) Nickelodeon/Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko**

**Kazuhiro Tatsumaru and other original characters (c) Me. **

_CHAPTER TEN: Healing Water_

_Toph picked up her foot and hesitantly tiptoed onto the now brown crusted grass. She had snuck out of the house visit the area, even though her parents forbade it. She could feel the burnt ground beneath her feet, the smell of cinders still fresh in the air. There was little chance, if any, that her friend had survived such an explosion. She knelt down in her silk nightgown. Her knees touched the very center of the action. The earth screamed at her. Not in agony or anger, but in disappointment. She could hardly bear to touch it. There was nothing left of Kazu there. Nothing to remind her of her only friend. What happened? Did he go up in flames with the grass and the flowers? Did those men take him away? Either way, she would never see him again. _

_Suddenly, a distinct vibration came from behind her. She quickly stood, preparing herself to fight once more. Of course, now that the Fire Nation knew of her existence, it was only a matter of time before more people came looking to collect her. She snarled. That wasn't going to happen. _

_"Pssst," a voice came out of a bush. Toph didn't turn around. "Pssst! Hey little girl! Over here!" Toph turned this time, facing the bush and walking hesitantly toward the voice. _

_"Whoever you are, you better get out of here right now!" she snapped. "This is private property!" _

_"Oh wow! It is you!" the gruff voice said. "You're the girl who took on those fire benders!" _

_Toph cocked an eyebrow, interested in where this was going. "And...you?" She felt his large shape, his heavy stance. He was obviously an earthbender. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" _

_"I AM THE BOULDER!" The man shouted, standing up out of the bush and smashing his chest with his fists like a chimp. "I AM THE WORLD'S GREATEST EARTHBENDER!" _

_Toph scoffed. "You're also the world's loudest Earthbender. Keep it down, will you? My parents are asleep." _

_"The BOULDER was impressed by your actions yester-moon, little girl. His eyes have never beheld such potential in one so small!" He took Toph's hand and started to shake it. She did not flinch at his strong grip, but rather coupled it with one of her own. "He came here only to ask the girl what her name is." _

_"It's...Toph. Toph Beifong." She smirked. "And I'M the world's greatest earthbender, hotshot. Not you." _

_"Really?" The BOULDER laughed. "Such a strong statement. Is the little girl prepared to put it to the test?" _

_Toph backed up a tad, feeling the remains of her last face off. "You mean...you want to fight me?" _

_"ME?" The BOULDER chuckled again. "I AM THE CHAMPION! YOU HAVE TO-" _

_"Sh!" _

_The BOULDER lowered his tone. "The only true test of the champion is in the Earth Rumble." _

_Toph's ears perked. "Earth...Rumble? What's that?" _

_"WHAT'S THE EARTH RUMBLE?" He exclaimed, standing up on a high platform. "WHY IT'S ONLY THE ROUGHEST, TOUGHEST, GRIZZLIEST EARTHBENDING CHALLENGE IN THE WHOLE EARTH KINGDOM! BLOOD SPILT EVERYWHERE! PEOPLE'S TEETH GETTING KNOCKED OUT! YOU'D BE LUCKY TO COME OUT ALIVE!" _

_"Sounds dangerous," Toph said trying to hide the smile of excitement. _

_"Toph must come with the BOULDER right now!" He said taking her by the hand. "So she can see for herself!"_

_Toph recoiled a bit. "I...wait. You would take a little blind girl to something like the Earth Rumble?" _

_"No, not usually." He leaned over to Toph, his breath smelling of old cabbage. "But Toph's got stuff! The BOULDER saw how you messed up those Fire Nation whack-jobs. So whattaya say? Does Toph want to learn what it really takes to be an earthbender?" He held out his hand. Toph swallowed hard, thinking of how her parents would flip if they found out. But she couldn't stay trapped in that little house for the rest of her life. She grinned, taking the BOULDER's hand._

_"Am I ever." _

_They walked past the long sewer-like alleyway to the underground sanction. Toph could hear the people cheering and screaming profanities. The ground was littered with old gristles of meat and crumbs. She smirked, feeling like maybe at last she had found her way home. The BOULDER approached the front desk, slamming his large arms on the tiny wooden frame. _

_"The BOULDER would like to sign this girl up for the Earth Rumble." _

_"Wait..." Toph protested. "Boulder...I thought I we were just watching, er, listening for the first time. You want me to-" _

_"Name?" The man at the desk asked, impatiently. _

_"YOU KNOW THE BOULDER!" The BOULDER snapped. The man sighed and rolled his eyes. _

_"Not you, the Kid. What's your name, Girl?" _

_Toph approached the desk. "It's Toph Bei-" She froze, fed up with her parents and her name. "Just Toph." _

_"No, No, little Blind Girl. The BOULDER will explain," The BOULDER said. "Toph should not use her real name." _

_"I shouldn't?" _

_"No! Men who compete in Earth Rumble will not always be nice to little girl, no matter how blind she is. It is bad to even speak the true name around here." _

_"Oh..." Toph crossed her arms. "So I need a code name?" _

_"Yes!" The BOULDER flexed his muscles. "Something tough! That will make the people scurry around like mouse chased by cat." _

_Toph narrowed her focus. Her chest grew tight as the only name she could think of popped into her head. She put on a determined glare and approached the desk once more. _

_"Name?" _

_"Alright, then. Call me..." she smirked. "The Blind Bandit." _

A vase went flying through the air, crashing against the wall and shattering into a million pieces. Following it was a hand that punched the door. None of these things seemed to leave a dent. Next a scream was heard, a loud, angry scream filled with bile. The fist pounded harder and harder.

"Come in here and fight me for real you stupid coward!" Toph's voice cracked as she hammered her fists into the wall. "Come on! You think you're hot stuff? Do you? You think you're hot? Prove it and fight me!" She pulled out a roundhouse kick against the door, but it still wouldn't budge. She panted, not understanding what was happening.

"Give it a rest, Girl. You can't fight me if you can't see anything..." Xin Fu's triumphant smirk could be felt through the door.

"I am going to get out of here," she sneered. "And when I do you are going to wish you had stayed in that metal box and died there!" She slammed her fist against the door as she spoke, her face ripe with ferocity.

"And you wonder why your parents want to send you to etiquette school," he mused.

"I can't _go _to etiquette school if I can't see! That's your doing, Snot For Brains!" She pulled against the door, trying to break the lock with her brute force. It didn't work. "You're gonna pay for what you did."

"I'm sorry, is that...oh dear I think it's a threat. The little girl is threatening me. I'm so scared," he said sarcastically.

Toph fumed. "You think you're so safe behind this wall just because I can't see? I have news for you, Buddy! Wounds heal! And the second I can make out even the tiniest bit of vibration you are going to die!"

"Die?" He leaned against the door on the other side. "Oh no. The second you heal your parents will have you shipped on a boat to the center of the Earth Kingdom. And I will be here. Far, far away from you."

"I'll get outta here before then," Toph spat. "My friends are here. They'll notice I'm gone and come looking for me."

"Friends? You mean more thieves?"

"That _thief _saved my life!" Toph slammed her foot into the ground, trying to move the wall. It still wouldn't budge. "If you hadn't shown up..."

"Yes. I know." He chortled. "And might I say the look on your face was well worth it. _No! Please! I'll be a good little girl! I won't earthbend anymore-" _

"You...you..." She rammed both fists into the wall, knowing it wouldn't budge as long as Xin Fu was there on the other side.

"What's the matter? Run out of things to say?" The man smirked. "I would have thought the great Toph Beifong would have a little more creativity."

"I will kill you..." she hissed through the door. Her fingers managed to make cracks in the stone wall. "How's that for creative?"

"Ah, yes. But until then...I suppose you'll just have to _sit there._"

Toph snarled, unable to hide her blind rage. She backed up and attempted to ram the door down for perhaps the twentieth time. It was of no use. She panted, smacking herself in the head.

"Just give up, Girlie. Seriously, it's not even fun anymore." He leaned into the door, making sure she could hear him clearly. "You can't get passed the wall, you can't go out the door. Just read a book or something. Unless you wanna try the window...haha!" He mocked.

Toph froze, shuffling backwards and running into a pot on the other side. There was the window. A two story drop from where she was to sanctuary. But with her current condition, it would be near impossible. She reached around and felt the wall, inching across it to the windowsill. All she could think about was Kazuhiro. How he had miraculously night after night gotten in and out of her house without being detected. He was like the wind, while she was a stone. There was no way, even if she did try to escape from the window, she would be able to do so without being caught. She didn't know whether the night had passed. She assumed so since her skin was warming up.

She finally made it to the window, feeling around the stone walls. She could create a staircase, but it wouldn't do her any good if she couldn't feel where the steps were. There was nothing on the side, but a single weed growing up the house. That was her way out.

"Oh..." the voice came from the other side. "So you chose suicide."

Toph didn't pay attention to him. She took in a deep breath and climbed up onto the window. Her knees shook with uncertainty. She couldn't just jump for it and hope that there were no trees in the way. She had to find a smarter way to get down, but how? She bit her lip and started inching her way around the other side of the window where the root was. She felt the wind catch her hair, blowing it as though she were on Appa. Her feet screeched with pain whenever she put pressure on them. The stone began to sizzle as she tried to step over the ledge. She held her breath, trying not to scream. What was she doing? Was she crazy? She shook her head. No. She had to get out. She had to find Kazu and get him to safety. She slid her foot down the side of the building until she located the root. She sighed and scooted her way over to the edge.

"Toph!" a voice shouted in midair. It startled the girl.

"Aang?" She slipped her foot off of the root and fell off the window. She managed to catch herself on the edge, dangling in midair. She hoisted herself up, out of breath. She shook, trying to regain her composure. She heard two feet lightly land on the sill.

"That was a bad idea..." she repeated to herself. "A bad bad bad idea."

"Toph, there you are. We were starting to-" Toph heard the sound of a hang-glider close. "Is everything okay?" A gentle hand reached down to touch her.

"Hey! Who is that in there with you?" Xin Fu screamed from the other side. The door shook, the man obviously trying to bust it open.

"Let's go!" Aang shouted. He grabbed Toph by the arm and held her close to him, standing back on the windowsill.

Wham! The door busted open. Xin Fu came storming in. "You!"

"You?" Aang replied, in utter astonishment.

"You, me, everyone! Who cares! Let's get outta here!" Toph exclaimed.

"Haha!" Aang laughed, saluting to Xin Fu. "Catch you later, Xin Poo!"

He leapt off the window just in time before Xin Fu was able to snag him. Toph hated flying, but she couldn't find herself to be bothered by it. She felt so heavy she thought she would sink the airbender to the ground. She wiggled her toes, but the pain still pierced through them. She held onto the glider as best she could, knowing they didn't need to go far. She could feel Aang's vibrations when she was pressed up this close to him. The familiarity brought her comfort.

"This may hurt a little..." Katara reached into the basin of water. Her hands began to glow as she reached for Toph's red feet. The earthbender flinched slightly upon impact but eased into the pain as though it took no effort at all. Katara wasn't surprised by her silence. She had told the story shortly after Aang returned her to the camp. Luckily, Katara was certain she could heal Toph in a matter of days. _I just hope she can hold out that long, _she thought. She focused on her healing water, removing much of the redness from Toph's soles.

Toph didn't react, although the healing process caused her entire body to ache with pain. The water helped sooth the wound, but her mind was still torn. She wasn't sure how much longer she could just sit there. Everything was still noiseless and shapeless. The vibrations were few and far between. When she did feel something, it was usually Katara's hand about to make contact with her scaling feet once more.

Katara looked up at her friend. "I should be able to fully heal the wound. It may take some time though."

Toph nodded. "Great."

Katara sighed and brought her focus back down to her work. "I know this must be hard for you. Xin Fu working for your parents and all."

Toph shrugged. "Nothing I can do about that," she replied. Her face was stern and cold. "They never listen."

"No, it doesn't sound like it." They sat there in silence for a long time before Katara tried again. "Is it starting to feel better?"

"I guess."

"I tried to heal internally first, before I heal the skin. It might take longer, but since we want you to be able to see again-"

"He did it," she whispered.

"Did...what?"

"No...they did it. Why? Why are they always doing this?" she relented to herself. "They're such idiots."

"I'm sure they just had your best interests-" but she stopped as soon as she realized what she was saying. Toph pulled her feet away.

"Don't sugar coat this!" she snapped. "They believed _him_ over me! They tried to send me away to etiquette school! They almost _killed _Kazuhiro!"

"Toph..."

"Don't tell me they had my best interests at heart or any of that crap!" She stood, causing the rocks around her to crack as a result of her anger. "I went home because I thought if they saw what a strong person I was after living on my own that they would accept me! That they would finally get it!"

"I know-"

"No! You don't know! Stop pretending like you understand where I'm coming from! You don't! You'll never understand!" Her entire body trembled. "You don't know what it feels like to be..." she couldn't finish her sentence. Katara stood, placing her hands on her friend's.

"You're right. I don't know what it's like to be in your situation." She looked at her friend. "I'm sorry."

Toph sat back down. "No...it's not you're fault. I get it, you're trying to help." She stuck her feet back in the basin. "I know my parents aren't evil. They would never do anything to hurt me." Her fists clenched. "But they don't listen. They want me to be blind, because then they will never be wrong."

"That's a brash statement."

"It's true, though."

"It must be...so scary..." Katara said, wringing out a rag and washing Toph's leg with it. "I couldn't even imagine."

"Psh, eternal darkness? That's nothing," she responded with a smile, trying to lighten the heavy mood. But she couldn't keep up that smile for too long. "Wounds heal. I don't have time to worry about things like that."

Katara lowered her head. "Is there really nothing we can do?"

Toph, hands folded, hung her head over her lap. "I don't know." She brought her hands to her forehead. "I really just don't know."

The blazing sun shot rays of heat down to the earth. The ocean seemed to glow with it, blinding all those who looked at it directly. The warmth of the glow caused the water to evaporate into the air. It seemed as though the ocean itself were going to dry up. Kazu looked behind him, over the city which appeared as nothing more than clay sculptures from up top the platform. Suddenly, he realized he was holding up the line. He hustled forward, running into the person in front of him. Kazu backed up slightly. The man's shadow cast over him and swallowed him whole. The man turned, his ornery face twisted in scowl.

"Watch it," he growled before turning back around.

"S-sorry," Kazu muttered. He backed up even more, before running into the man behind him.

"Hey! Quit holding up the line!" another shouted behind him. Kazu sighed, realizing he just couldn't win.

"Sorry..." He stumbled forward, trying to maintain a consistent pace. He lifted his fingers and tried to itch his wrists from his stone restraints. But there was no luck. He followed the line onto the deck, taking one last quick look at the town. He was hustled between two men, both much taller than he was. Earthbenders, no doubt, based on their build. He looked around at the others. Broken teeth, filthy clothes and ratted hair was the trend with almost all of them. The rest of the prisoners filed into line as a man stepped onto the ship's deck.

"This all of them?" he asked someone beside him in a raspy voice. They nodded. The man let out a sigh and spit on the ground. "It'll have to do." He straightened his jacket and waddled over to the group, sizing them up. "Alright swine, stand at attention." Kazu straightened up back, while the others stared blankly at the man barking orders. The man began to pace up and down the rows. "You all know why you're here. I don't gotta tell you. But I will tell you that if you think you can just sit there twiddlin' your thumbs till your time is up, you got another thing comin. Most of you chose this over death row..." He stopped and stared into the eyes of a man who was trembling. "Didn't you?" The prisoner was nothing more than a toothpick. His knees began to buckle. "That was your first mistake."

He turned back to the rest of the prisoners. "Get this through your heads, Low-lives. You, are the underbelly. The weak part of society who thinks they can outsmart the law. You may think you're here for punishment, but that's only part of it. You are here so I can whip you into becoming good, upstanding citizens. Do I make myself clear?" He folded his arms behind his back and began to walk away from them. "On the ship, you will be divided into sections. Some of you will command the vessel, some of you will be on cleaning duty, ect. You will complete these jobs without complaining, without hesitation. Also, when I give you an order the correct response and the _only _correct response is 'Aye Captain!' got it?"

"Cap'n!" Another officer came on board. "We've got another one."

A group of soldier-like men came aboard the ship. With them they dragged a man, kicking and screaming. He wasn't as skinny as the old one, but due to his condition Kazu could tell he had been malnourished. "No!" he screamed. "There's been a mistake! Something is terribly wrong! I'm innocent!" He tried to push away from the guards, but he was no match for them. "I don't deserve this! Please! Someone! I'm innocent! I'm _innocent!"_

Kazu watched as the man was dragged off below the deck. He cringed, not knowing what was going to happen to him.

"Now, if there are no more interruptions," the Captain said. "I'll give you your assignments."

An old man stood at the edge of the ship, his entire body quivering. Kazu managed to peek behind another prisoner to see what was happening. The captain stood on the other side, arms crossed, face stern. Kazu gulped as he watched them wheel in a cart. Inside was a bed of round boulders the size of his head.

"Before you earthbenders get any ideas..." The Captain said, spitting into the metal ground. "You should know that these are the only rocks on the ship. If you try to escape using just these puny things, you can consider yourself dead right now." He picked up one of the rocks and placed it on the floor. The old man that stood before him trembled. "Now, let's see how tough you are." He smirked, putting his foot on the boulder. "You don't pass this test...then it'd be better to put you out of your misery." He lifted his foot and backed away from the rock. "Ready, Old Timer?" The old man shook with unbridled fear. The captain smirked. Kazu didn't want to look, but he couldn't pull his eyes away from the scene either. The Captain sprinted toward the rock and kicked it as hard as he could, sending it flying toward the jaw of it's intended recipient, the old man. The guy screamed, moving his hand in front of him. As soon as he did, the boulder shattered into a million pieces. The Captain smirked as Kazu let out a sigh of relief. The old man smiled, the yellow tint of his teeth shining through the black plaque and crooked shape.

"Earthbender. You'll do fine," The Captain nodded. "Next!"

Another man, larger and more muscular stepped up to the plate. Kazu peaked around to watch him cockily take his stance in front of the captain. "Sure don't take much to please you, do it?" The Captain set the second rock down. "Come on!" The younger man shouted. "Just kick it already!" The Captain backed up once more, bending his knees slightly lower than before. Kazu noticed that his stance had changed. He jumped up and rocketed the rock toward his stomach. It hit with a crash, sending the young man flying overboard. The group took a few steps back as they heard a splash down below.

The Captain simply straightened his coat. "Next!"

Kazu watched them for quite some time. Some men passed the test with flying colors, others who had no bending or were not skilled enough were sent then and there to their watery graves. The young firebender couldn't help but feel sick to his stomach. One of those men earlier had claimed to be innocent...what if they just threw him overboard right away without giving him a chance? His eyes widened as he slunk away from the diminishing crowd. He was from the Fire Nation. He couldn't bend earth. He nodded to himself. He chose this, didn't he? He made the decision to return to the Beifong estate, and in the end it was the right thing to do. _I'm lucky to have even lived this long, _he thought. He wasn't afraid of facing death. He just hoped Toph had made it back to the others.

"Next!"

A hand reached up and grabbed Kazu by the scruff of the neck, dragging him out to the deck and thrusting him against the railing. The Captain looked at him and smiled.

"Earth restraints..." he said with a cocked eyebrow. "Not a bender then?"

Kazu stood up straight, looking the captain in the eye. "Your prison wouldn't suit me, Sir," he finally said.

"I hate to work with kids," The Captain said. "Makes me feel unclean. Especially ones that can't defend themselves."

Kazu's eyes narrowed, staring at the rock. He focused on his energy, his breath. The captain backed up.

"Unfortunately, rules is rules."

Kazu didn't move. He didn't flinch. He just stood at the rock, waiting for it to give him a sentence.

"Not gonna beg for mercy, huh?" Kazu didn't answer. The Captain ran as fast as he could, knocking the rock up, and then over. Kazu exhaled. It was heading for the center of his body. He closed his eyes and, as though feeling it in slow motion, flipped over the rock just as it whizzed past. The resulting impact caused an indent in the metal behind him.

"He dodged it," one of the prisoners gaped.

"Can he do that?" Another asked.

"How the hell..."

Kazu inspected the damage and blushed, relieved and guilty that he had made it. The Captain, however, was not impressed. While his back was turned, he grabbed another boulder and knocked it toward Kazu. The boy sensed it just in time and dodged that attack as well, spinning away from the wall where it was heading.

"Quit dodging and stop the rock, Boy!" The Captain shouted. "Don't make me throw two at once!"

"I can't stop that!" Kazu panted. "I'm not a-"

"Do it now!"

The Captain sent one final rock hurtling toward Kazu, this time his head. He didn't have time to panic. _Stop the rock...stop the rock..._But as he watched it come flying toward him, he think of anything else to do. He inhaled and blew as hard as he could, flames leaping and dancing out of his mouth, setting the sky ablaze. The other prisoners looked on in astonishment as the rock crumbled in mid air. Kazu stopped blowing, falling to his knees. The Captain snarled. He waddled over to Kazu and knocked his head to the floor with his foot. He took out a knife and cut the collar of his shirt, revealing the Fire Nation tattoo.

"What are you, boy?"

Kazu tried to look up, but squinted because of the sunlight. "I am Kazuhiro Tatsumaru...of the Fire Nation."

"A firebender?" The prisoners couldn't believe it. "You mean a war criminal?"

"He's just a kid."

"So it's true," The Captain spat, taking his foot off Kazu's neck. "After all these years, they're finally putting you fire breathers away." He slipped the knife back into his pocket, walking away from the scene. "We're done for the day. Those of you who passed, come with me." Kazu sat up and began to follow him, but he turned around, giving him a menacing glare. "Firebender..." His voice was dark. Kazu stopped. "You go to the engine rooms."

A guard came and hoisted him up. "You heard the man! Get your butt moving!" Kazu was pushed forward to the stairs. The rock shackles around his wrists were released. They pushed him down into the dark room, until he could finally see the piles and piles of coal and burning furnace. He could feel beads of sweat trickle his brow already. The guards gave him a shovel and told him to keep the furnaces burning. The other men didn't seem to pay him any mind. They worked tirelessly, without looking up or at anyone. Kazu wondered if they were getting paid or were prisoners as well. Kazu couldn't help but grin. He had missed the smell of the furnace, and while it was no longer glass art he would be making, he at least would get to smell the sweet charcoal festering in the light. If this was his job, then perhaps prison wouldn't be as bad as he thought it would be.


	12. The Tales of Miss Cellophane

**Avatar: The Last Airbender (c) Nickelodeon/ Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko**

**Kazuhiro Tatsumaru and other original characters (c) Me **

_CHAPTER ELEVEN: The Tales of Miss Cellophane _

Toph slammed her hands down, causing the desk below her to crumble. She could only feel a few vibrations, to the point where she knew where things were, but wasn't at the point where she could decipher what exactly it was she was supposed to be "looking" at. The woman on the other side of the table adjusted her glasses, thoroughly un-phased by the blow. Sokka, Suki, Katara and Aang all stood behind Toph, a good twenty feet away from the action. Sokka couldn't stop staring at her. He had hardly ever seen Toph with this kind of passion about anything, let alone another person. It made him feel strange, a kind of discomfort he couldn't place. Yet it also made him proud.

"What do you mean, you can't tell me where the ship went?" she snapped, hitting her fists into the desk again.

"That is classified information, Miss," the woman retorted. "That ship has twenty of the most lethal criminals in all of Gaoling on board. It is nothing to go chasing after."

Toph grimaced. "Fine." She leaned backward, causing her shoulders to rise up to her ears. "Then I would like to post bail-"

"I don't think you understand," The woman remarked. "These prisoners don't get bail. They don't get parol. They are _dangerous._"

"What if I could prove to you he was innocent?" Toph asked.

"Impossible."

"But if I could?"

"Even then it would be too late..." The woman sighed regretfully. "You are wasting your time here. Please go."

Toph scoffed. "How would I go about proving to you-"

"According to the registrar, the crime was committed over three years ago at the Beifong Estate. If somehow miraculously you were there, then I could take your testimony iinto account."

Toph tilted her head to the side. "What are you talking about? Of course I was there!" She crossed her arms.

"Were you now?" The woman had a look of disbelief on her face.

"Um..._duh_. Didn't he tell you when you interrogated him?" She drummed her fingers on the side of her arm.

"He never mentioned you," the woman said flatly. "Only some made up story of how the scroll was destroyed while he was trying to protect the Beifong's daughter."

"He wasn't making it up!"

"Please," the woman took out some ink and began writing on the parchment. "Everyone knows the Beifongs don't have any children."

"What?" Katara said, stepping forward.

"Dude, that's messed up!" Sokka announced, getting between Toph and the desk woman. "How could you say something so stupid?"

The woman looked up at Toph. "What is your name?"

"Toph Beifong. Daughter of Poppy and Lao Beifong of Gaoling."

"Of course," the woman said sarcastically. "If you are going to lie to a woman, make sure it's a woman who doesn't have the records of everyone in town."

Toph growled. "Fine, you want proof?" She reached into her pocket and pulled out her passport. It was green and gold with the Beifong family symbol on it. "Here!" She smacked it down, standing back to let the woman examine it. "Don't go telling me you think it's a fake."

"This only proves that you are associated with the Beifongs, not that you are their daughter."

"Ugh!" She stood up on the table, towering over the woman. "You can't just take it on faith that maybe, just maybe you _don't _know everything about everything? My name is Toph Beifong. That's the God honest truth, Lady!"

"Toph," Suki said. "What's going on?"

"I have a record of every birth certificate in Gaoling, little girl. And yours is not on my list."

"She is Toph Beifong," Aang announced. "As the Avatar I give you my word."

"Words mean nothing without documentation. I need hard evidence," the woman replied icily.

"That's ridiculous!" Suki shouted.

"No, I'm done with this. Come back with proof that you are who you say you are, and then we'll talk."

Toph bit her lip. "But what about-"

"I can't do anything for your friend until proper action has been taken. I'm sorry, but you have to leave now."

Toph didn't say anything after that. She bowed to the woman, half with respect and half with disdain, and took her leave. Her friends followed her out, concerned about her sudden obedience. She stood stone cold, her heart pounding. She was running out of time. Sokka was the first to approach her, his usual sarcastic drone taking a backseat.

"Toph-"

"Don't even bother," came her cool response. "I know what you're thinking."

Sokka sighed. "I wasn't thinking anything."

"It's not a big deal, okay?" she barked. "My parents didn't want anyone to try and take advantage of me. That's all. End of story."

It was Katara's turn to speak. "They kept you a secret? Even from government officials? But why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Toph said, turning to face her friends. She lifted her hands in front of her face and waved it over her eyes. "Look, I didn't tell you cause I didn't want you to pity me, alright? And then...then I got so wrapped up in taking down the fire nation that I failed to mention it. Once the war was over, I thought that part of my life would end too."

"That still doesn't explain-" Sokka said, but Toph cut him off again.

"I told you! That's it!" Toph jeered. "That's all there is to it!"

"Toph. It's okay. You can tell us anything," Katara said, cutting in.

"Yeah, we're your friends," Aang added.

The earthbender sighed. "My dad is a member of the national relations core associated with Ba Sing Se," she explained. "He was entrusted with all of their secrets, which he encoded on a scroll and buried deep into the catacombs."

"The Gaoling Scroll..." Aang recalled. "The scroll Kazu stole."

"My parents were big into the political scene here. Still are. That's why they're so well known and well off. When my mother discovered they were pregnant with me, they had to make a decision whether or not they wanted to keep me and have me grow up in such an intense environment. I don't think they really questioned it until I was born." Toph made a rock come up from the ground and sat on it. "On the day I was born, the midwife told my parents that I was a healthy baby. It wasn't until a few hours later that they discovered I was blind. My father was terrified that if the masses knew his child was handicapped, they would use me to get money or political power. So he told the world that his child was sterile and left it at that. No one ever questioned it, why would they?" Her eyebrows scrunched. "It gave them even more attention than ever."

"I see," Suki said. "That's why the woman didn't know about you."

"Or the fat guy at the diner," Sokka added.

"The first time I ran away it was because I overheard my mother talking about how she questioned keeping me at all. _A girl living her life completely blind! What kind of misery did I put my child through?"_ Toph sighed. "In the end, I knew part of her thought I was a punishment. She told my father she tried to drown me in the river once...but she couldn't do it. She wondered if letting me live in this way was a worse fate."

Katara spoke half-voice. "I had no idea..."

"Now she won't let me leave the house. She's ashamed she ever felt that way. Only now she doesn't trust anyone around me, and neither does my father." She swallowed hard. "But that doesn't matter now." She stood up, brushing herself off and lowering the rock back into the ground. "I'm living on my own. I have a life. A good one." She smiled. "I'm the greatest earthbender in the world, after all." She began to walk away from the group towards Appa. She pressed her head against his warm body, petting him as she did so. Her face narrowed. "I never want to be so consumed with fear, that I forget how to love."

Sokka walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure this out, Toph. I promise." Her entire body grew hot as his grip on her shoulder grew tighter. "All of us. We'll get him back."

Toph leaned away from Appa, his fur clenched in her hands. "I'll be right back," she said, walking away.

"Toph! Where are you going?" Katara called.

"I have to take care of something," she said, walking toward the street. She heard footsteps behind her.

"I'm coming with you!" shouted Sokka.

"I can handle this," she said back, not trying to upset him. But as she began to walk again, his hand latched itself to her wrist.

"I'm coming."

Toph's face was florid as she frowned, shaking her friend off of her arm. It didn't take much effort. "Okay."

The sun peeked through the metal bars along with windows. Kazu picked up a bowl and held it close to him. Lunchtime had always been his least favorite part of the day. He hated crowds, especially the rough kind. Still, he was alive and had no room to complain. He wiggled his way through the line, trying to keep moving no matter what. His stomach churned from the pain of not eating anything all day. He finally pushed his way through to the front of the line. An old woman stood, serving soup. She gave him a ominous glare as she took the bowl into her hands. She filled it with the thick green liquid into the ceramic container. Kazu reached back to take it from her, but before he could the woman leaned over and spat directly into his bowl. Kazu flinched and accepted his meal.

"Thank you," he said, bowing to the woman out of respect, as he was taught to do as a child. He looked into his bowl, moving it around slightly to catch the consistency of the white glob. He sighed, making his way to the nearest seat he could find. He set his cheek on his hand, looking into the green goop. He eventually took the bowl in his hands. Food was food, he figured. With the kind of work he was doing, he couldn't afford to skip meals for any reason. As he was about to lift the liquid to his lips, he felt a discernible heat source coming from behind him.

"You're in my seat," a gruff, younger voice huffed.

Kazu set down his bowl, turning to see a young man, extremely built and stern, staring at him. Kazu cocked an eyebrow, unable to fight his desire to correct his logic. "I didn't see you sitting here before."

"Doesn't matter if I wasn't sitting there before," he snapped. "This is my seat. Get out."

"That doesn't make any sense," Kazu whispered to himself. The stern man reached over and grabbed his bowl. He smirked as he lifted it to his lips. "Wait! You don't want to-" He was too late in his warning as the man performed a spit take shortly after the expectoration hit his taste buds. The liquid sprayed all over Kazu's face, who squinted in response. The man laughed hysterically.

"Haha! Looks like water really isn't your _element _huh, Fire-Breather?" Kazu wiped off his face, picked up his bowl and began to walk off. He felt something grab his back collar and pull him back. "Your shirt is soaked, why don't you change it?" The man heckled. "Or better yet, just take it off!" He flipped Kazu over on his back, climbing on top of him. "Go on! No one will care!" He screamed, his hands gripped tightly to Kazu's shirt. He slowly began to separate them, tearing the material. His strength was able to rip it right down the middle. Leaning down, he spat in Kazu's face. "Show them what you really are."

Kazu narrowed his eyes, staring into the man's bloodshot ones. "I have no desire to fight you."

"No?" the man growled. "Yet you have no issue with burning entire villages. Killing innocent men, women, even children to get what you want!" Kazu tried to stand up, but the man's grip around his collar grew tighter pulling him forward. "You bear it. They symbol of treachery itself. Don't try to deny it." Kazu again looked into his eyes, but saw something completely different. His mind drifted into compassion. The man huffed, trying to cover his lack of breath. He snarled, dropping him to the floor and standing up. "You're one of them."

Kazuhiro stood methodically, one foot at a time. He could feel the hot sun bouncing off the walls and through the windows, giving him power. The young boy's eyes didn't leave the other man's for a moment. He turned around, showing his back to him before releasing the rest of his clothing.

"A fire nation soldier," someone hissed.

"What is he going to do?" another queried.

"You wear it as though it were a badge of honor," the man before him growled. He clenched his fists. "You Fire Nation make me sick."

Kazu turned around to face him. "Who are you to speak of honor?" he seethed. He remembered his shack, the shattered glass all over the floor. Morikami lying dead in a pool of blood. "You think your people are any better than mine?"

"My people did not try to burn the entire world to the ground!"

"Neither did mine!" Kazu shouted, his entire body growing hot. "One controlling government does not make an entire race of evil! My people were as much victims of the war as yours. Yet you treat us as though we were the ones who are to blame for your suffering!"

"And yet you praised it! The power. That's what people who were born in fire do. They engulf everything, obsessed with the power to destroy!" He approached him. "Because that's all you can do, you and your fascist government."

"And the Earth Kingdom is better? Feeding you lies every second about your security? The stark division between the rich and the poor?" He narrowed his eyes, getting closer. "I will be the first to admit the faults of the Fire Nation, but if you think you are heroes just because you won the war, you are mistaken."

_Wham! _The man's fist went flying through the air, clocking Kazu right in the face. The boy stumbled backwards, regaining his balance. "You wanna fight, Candlelight?" He cracked his neck. "Bring it on!" He ran up and tackled Kazu to the ground as the two rolled around the floor, biting and scratching at each other. Despite the variable size difference, Kazu was able to get the upper hand in the fight and slammed the man down to the ground. He kicked him in the face and stood up.

"For a people who promote peace," Kazu exhaled deeply. "You sure like to fight a lot."

The man roared with anger as he grabbed Kazu's foot and dragged him back down. "Your armies destroyed my village. Your soldiers broke into my house and killed my younger brother. He was only a child and you killed him!" He ran up and tackled Kazu once more, putting his hands around his throat. "I don't promote any peace with you barbarians. The Earth Kingdom wants revenge!" Kazu, struggling to break free, put his hand on the man's wrist, lighting a slight flame just hot enough for him to scream and let go.

"And that makes you no better than us," Kazu said. The man held his hand, cradling the burn. Kazu approached him, gripping him by his collar. "I've spent my entire life trying to wash away the soot from my hands. I don't need you coming around and dumping more in my path."

"There!" one of the men behind him shouted.

The Captain hustled by the large crowd of people that accumulated. "Excuse me, sorry. Let me through!" Kazu let go of the man as soon as he saw the Captain coming. "What is going on here?"

"He just attacked me!" the man said, with a tremor in his voice. "See? He burned my hand!" The man stood up, close to the Captain. Kazu didn't say anything. No matter what he said, he knew they wouldn't believe him. He bowed to the Captain and walked away. "Hey! Where do you think you're-"

"It's okay," The Captain said, watching Kazu leave. "Let him go."

"But Sir-"

"You're an idiot to pick a fight with one of his kind." The Captain began to reach into his pocket and pull out a pipe. "Ruthless those ones. Don't stop until they get the job done." He lit the pipe and began to puff.

"He started it!"

"And you encouraged it. That's the worst think you can do to a firebender." He took a couple paces away from the scene. "I suggest you stay far away from Tatsumaru," were the Captain's final words before disappearing into the crowd.

Kazu was handed a shovel and pushed back into the engine room. He angrily shoved the blade into the pile of coal, chucking it into the fire. This time, everyone was looking. Everyone was staring as his brand became illuminated by the light. This was his life. He could do nothing now but feed the fire and watch it grow.

Toph burst through the front door, not looking forward or back. She had told Sokka to stay and wait for her outside and that she would call him if something went wrong. Her mother was the first to see her.

"Oh! Toph! My Darling! You came-"

"Where's Dad?" she said bitterly making her way passed her mother in a huff.

Poppy folded her arms down to her sides. "He's in his study now. Shall I fetch him for you?"

Toph scowled. "No need." She made her way through the familiar house, the halls that seemed to echo with each step she took. She felt guilty leaving it with such emptiness, but now was not the time for guilt on her part. She had one mission and one mission only. She reached the study, standing in the hall. Her silhouette stretched all the way across the floor.

"So you've decided to return?"

"Where is it?" she asked coldly.

Lao turned back around, not looking up. "Where's what?"

Her eyebrows scrunched. "Where is it? In the study? In the catacombs? Where?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," came his mellow response.

Toph's ears grew red. "The only thing I would possibly be asking you for."

"Oh, that."

"I need it."

"Do you?" He adjusted his tunic. "To do what?"

Toph was quiet for a moment. "I just need it."

"My daughter," Lao began, standing up. "There is much yet you don't understand about this world. Do you really think it wise?"

"I don't have a choice anymore..." Toph said half-voice. "You took his side."

"Xin Fu saved you-"

"Kazuhiro saved me."

Lao rolled his eyes. "This is about the thief again."

"This is about _me,_" Toph corrected, her harsh demeanor slowly deteriorating as she spoke. "I don't want to hide anymore."

"And you think exposing yourself to the world will make it better?" he snapped. "You are acting out of the realm of your capabilities."

"What do you know about my capabilities? You wouldn't even let me leave to train the Avatar!" She frowned. "I am a member of this family. Shouldn't I be able to say it proudly?"

"Don't play with me, Toph Beifong. I am not an idiot."

"I just want-"

"I was easy on him. You should be thanking me, not demanding."

Toph clenched her fists. "...I told you this isn't about-"

"Of course it is." Lao walked over to his daughter. "That's what it's always been about. You choose paths of danger because it makes you feel more human. You let people like him trick you because you are intrigued by their boorish lifestyle."

"That's not true!"

"What do you think is going to happen? You get what you want and they let him go. He's going to run away with you and you can both just be thieves for the rest of your lives?"

"No."

"Don't you see the only reason you care is that he has you convinced he's in love with you?" Toph felt her cheeks burn. Her heart began to beat faster and faster. What was this? What was happening to her? "And you've convinced yourself that you're in love with him. But it's nothing more than teenage rebellion."

"I..." Toph tried to spit out. _No, no no_, she thought. She was beginning to question the solidity of her nature. "He saved my life..."

"Your life that was never in danger to begin with until he came around."

"...I don't love him."

"It was so easy for him to get the scroll from you."

"I don't love him."

"And now you want to help him out of prison because...why? You feel guilty?"

"I don't love him!" She screamed. But the more she said it, the less it felt true.

"Then why are you here?" Lao snapped. "Why did you come back? Certainly it wasn't for your mother and I who raised you."

Toph growled. "Fine. If you're not going to help me, I'll find it myself."

"You know that's just as ridiculous as it sounds." But Toph stormed off in a huff. She felt around the entire area, sensing any kind of paper nearby. She walked into the living room, passed her mother. That's where she felt it. An old scroll on a pedestal sat precariously in plain sight. She reached over and ran her fingers over the deteriorating parchment. It was over fifteen years old. She sighed and took it in her hands. Her father and mother came bursting into the scene.

"Toph! Put that back! You have no idea-" Poppy shouted.

"Now I do," her daughter replied bitterly. "Thanks mom." Lao gave Poppy a menacing look and the woman sunk back down.

"You think it's going to help you?" he called as Toph headed out the door. "You just solve your problems by running away?"

"Toph...please...we can talk about this!" Poppy exclaimed. "I don't want you to run away again!"

Toph stopped at the threshold of the door, her treasure in hand. She didn't turn around as she spoke. "So then stop me."

Poppy blinked. "What?"

"Stop. Me."

"Guards!" Lao shouted.

Toph blew her bangs out of her face in annoyance. "That's what I thought."

"Toph! Toph wait!" Poppy called, running to her daughter. "We just want you to be safe! We love you!"

"If you really love me," Toph said icily. "You'll come after me yourselves this time." She moved her foot and slammed a rock in the doorway, blocking her from her parents. The guards rushed toward the front, passing Toph as though she were invisible. She approached Sokka, who was waiting for her a few blocks away.

"Everything go okay?" Toph shoved the scroll in his arms. "What's this?" He unraveled the parchment, taking a good look at it's contents. "Toph, is this-"

"Yeah," she said. "It's my birth certificate."

Toph laid down the scroll before the woman at the desk. She peered down, perusing it carefully. Eventually she looked back up at Toph, staring at her in disbelief.

"I'm sorry," she finally said. "I didn't know the Beifongs had children."

"But it's authentic isn't it?" Sokka asked.

The woman nodded. "I don't think anyone could fake such an elaborate document."

"So," Toph began. "You'll listen to my testimony?"

"I'm sorry, I wish I could," the woman said. "Unfortunately even if I sent the papers to the prison ship now, nothing would go through. Those prisoners have been sentenced to be worked until death. Even if I could open it up for discussion, It would be too late for your friend by the time it arrived."

Toph's face narrowed. She bowed to the woman, thanking her for her help before proceeding to the door. Sokka grabbed the scroll from the desk and followed her out. "So what do we do now?" he asked half-heartedly.

Toph didn't stop moving as she headed towards Appa. "You guys can do whatever you want," she said. "I'm going to save Kazuhiro."

"But Toph!" Sokka exclaimed. "You heard what the lady said! The big scary men on the boat won't let us compromise."

"Who said anything about compromise?" Toph spat back.

"Whoa...hang on a minute..." Katara said approaching her headstrong friend. "You're not going to-"

"He saved my life, Katara." Toph lowered her head. "The least I owe him is his own." She walked off then, not knowing where she was going or what she was going to do. But she knew she couldn't live consciously knowing her oldest friend was in pain. She eventually found herself a good place to sit. Her father's word rang her head. Kazu? In love with her? What a joke. She had almost fallen in love twice before. Once voluntarily, and another against her will. Both times ended in dissatisfaction. She touched her hand to her lips. Her Dad was wrong. She was too stone cold to be capable of falling into that trap. It wasn't her emotions that were clouding her judgement, it was her sense of justice. Kazu deserved to be free. That's all there was to it.

The waves crashed along the side of the boat as it was beginning to dock. Kazu wiped his forehead and hacked into his sleeve. Since his fight with the earthbender he wasn't permitted to leave the engine room apart for emergencies. He wasn't sure how long it had been. Three days? Maybe four? He had lost track. He closed his eyes and saw burning charcoal. He blew his nose and watched his excrement turn to black tar. Every day his output lessened. He ate all of his meals, but it wasn't long before starvation began effecting his work. The Captain didn't like that. Nevertheless, he kept shoveling. He only collapsed on the job twice. The first from dehydration and the second from muscle exhaustion. He received thorough punishment for each. But now they had finally reached the prison. Bright sun and fresh air would be waiting for him.


	13. The Retaliation

**Avatar: The Last Airbender (c) Nickelodeon/Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko**

**Kazuhiro Tatsumaru and other original characters (c) Me. **

_CHAPTER TWELVE: The Retaliation_

She reached up and pulled her hair out of the bun she usually kept it in. Her black locks fell down her back for a moment before she scooped them back up and tied it up with a ribbon at the top her head. She took pieces of Suki's armor and wrapped them around her waist and over her wrists. As usual, her feet were completely exposed. She wiggled her toes, finally feeling the cool earth for the first time in what seemed like ages. Things were still blurry, but there was no more time to wait for healing. Sokka came in, holding a mask and looking at his friend with concerned eyes.

"That's a good look for you," he said.

Toph didn't turn around. "I wouldn't know..." she replied.

Sokka sighed, making his way over towards her. "You don't have to do this. We can find another way."

"By then it will be too late," she said solemnly. "I have to do it now."

Sokka frowned, handing her the mask. "Then at least let me come with you." Toph was silent. She grabbed the mask from his hand and tied it around her head.

"This is something I have to do, alone."

"You can't take on an entire prison by yourself! It's crazy!" he whined. "You're crazy!"

Toph smirked. "Aww. And here I was starting to think you didn't like me."

"Toph..." Sokka said, lifting her mask so he could see her face. "You can't win this one." Toph felt his hands on her cheeks, her face flushing. But now instead of butterflies, the sensation made her wrought with anger. How dare he touch her like that? She didn't need his sympathy, nor did she need his affection. Right now, she just needed his support. She lifted her hand and pulled her mask down over her face. She stopped at the frame of the door.

"Come on, Sokka, who do you think you're talking to?" She gave him a slight turn, to let him know she was addressing him. "I'm the greatest earthbender in the world!"

Sokka couldn't help but smile over all the pain he was feeling. "Right. I know you are."

"I can take you to the island. It shouldn't be too far from here!" Aang shouted while on Appa. Toph clutched the bison as tightly as she could, trying not to think about how high up they must have been, considering the sensation she felt in her ears.

"You're the best, Twinkle Toes," she said.

Aang smiled. "Just promise you'll get him out safely." Toph nodded as Appa started his descent. He peered down over his furry friend, looking down at the island they were about to land on. Suddenly, Aang's chest grew tight. It was a huge metal building with a harsh rocky exterior. "Ah man..." he said in awe. This caught Toph's attention as she made her way towards him.

"What?" she asked. "Do you see it?"

Aang gulped. "Yeah, I see it." He turned to Toph, who was preparing to jump. "I thought you didn't like flying."

"I don't," she said, her knees beginning to buckle. "Being more than ten feet off the ground gives me the creeps." But she stood anyway. "What's the situation like?"

"Um..." Aang squinted. "Looks like there are guards on both the north and east pavilion. Probably earthbenders."

"Probably."

"I can fly you down to the shoreline behind those cliffs." He reached down his robe and pulled out Appa's whistle, handing it to Toph. "Once you find him, signal Appa. That way we'll know where to look for you." Aang looked again, as the prison got closer. "I don't see an entrance anywhere."

"You said the entire structure is metal?"

"Yeah, looks like it."

Toph put her foot on the side of Appa's saddle. "Then making one shouldn't be too hard." She signaled to Aang. "If I don't contact you by sunset, don't come looking for me."

Aang lowered his head. "I..." but he couldn't bring himself to speak. The thought of losing one of his best friends was too much for him to bear.

Toph sighed. "Sokka doesn't think I should do this. He thinks I'm going to get caught." She tightened her belt. "Everyone thinks so."

Aang was quiet for a moment. He knew he had his own fears and suspicions about all of this, but he trusted that Toph knew what she was doing. "You know," he began. "Zuko once broke into a maximum security Fire Nation prison by himself. They called him _The Blue Spirit. _You kinda look like him with that mask on."

Toph swallowed. "Why bring that up now?"

"He rescued me from that prison. There were thousands of guards everywhere and all he had were two swords and a mask. It was amazing." He turned to Toph and smiled. She could feel his positive energy. "Sometimes it's not what we do, but why we do it that make us who we are. If you really think this is right, then I can't stop you. No one can."

Toph turned her body away from Aang. "I don't know what's right anymore..." she said flatly. "I just have to save him, Aang. There's no reason for it, moral or otherwise. I lost that a while ago. I have to save him because...I just have to."

Aang closed his eyes and sighed with a smile. "That's as good enough reason as any." Toph blushed, leaning over the saddle. The water was getting close now, she could feel it. Appa slowed down dramatically, hovering a bit. Toph stood up tall. "It's about a ten foot drop," Aang said. Toph nodded and stepped up on the boarder of the saddle, sitting on the edge. She didn't like the sway of the animal, or having her feet dangle over the edge. But it was only ten feet down. Ten feet away from victory. She took in a deep breath.

Aang couldn't stop looking at her. He remembered that first day they met. How afraid she was to fly, how cold she was toward everyone. A strong fighter, even back then. But even with all her skill, he remembered, Toph never had a reason to fight outside of sport. Her bending was purely necessity. There was a glow around her now, a deliberate goal. He felt his eyes begin to water. A single tear trickled down his cheek. He couldn't see her face, but he didn't have to. At that moment, she was positively more radiant than he had ever seen her.

"Don't cry, Twinkle Toes," she said solemnly. "It doesn't suit you."

Aang wiped his cheek. She always knew. Toph scooted farther off the edge of Appa. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help to you."

Toph chuckled. "Hey, you saved the world. Can't expect you to do everything." They sat there in silence for a while, before Toph finally broke it. "Alright. I guess I'll see you in a few hours."

Aang nodded. "I believe in you." But she felt him turn slightly after that comment. She scooted up as far as she could, slipping onto Appa's fur and holding onto the side of the saddle with her hand. The wind caught her robe and ribbons and made them dance in the breeze, spotlighted by the sun.

"Aang?" She called, waiting a while for him to look up. She lifted her mask up while hanging on with one arm. Her smile was bright and genuine. "Thanks." With that she let go, plummeting into the solid earth. She landed on her feet, creating a crater where she stood. She watched the bison fly off, taking the whistle and stuffing it in her robe, the string still secure around her neck. She slipped the mask over her face. Reaching down to the earth, she could feel a blurry version of the entire island. She smirked. _This is going to be way easier than I thought, _she said to herself.

It didn't take long before Toph had snuck her way past the guards and into the main prison. Things were still hazy, but now that she was inside she could track Kazuhiro's vibrations to his location. It was difficult to locate over all of the powerful earthbenders around. They were bending, practically constantly. Tiny little pebbles to giant boulders, nothing was safe here. She wondered how an earth kingdom prison could have survived with earth completely surrounding it. Did the earthbenders use it to break free? But as soon as she touched the metal wall, she understood. No amount of earthbending could get someone in or out of that prison. Luckily, she smirked, she wasn't just a normal earthbender.

She ran passed a work area where men were breaking rocks with their bare hands. They also were carrying large boulders up hills. Everyone was barefoot. She touched the ground when she noticed no one was watching her. She couldn't feel him there either. She pouted. Where could he be? She noticed two guards coming her way and tried to hide. However, she wasn't stealthy like Kazu or Aang, so she was spotted almost immediately.

"Hey! You!" One of the guards shouted. Toph groaned. She couldn't do things the easy way, not with her talents. She ran towards the rock wall and picked up a giant boulder, ramming it into the other guards. They stopped it, but only for a moment as Toph dove over them and ran through the hall.

"He's an earthbender!"

"Get him!"

She ran until she couldn't find anywhere else to go. These guys were hardly a threat, but she couldn't exactly get away from them scott free. She needed to find Kazu first, then fight them afterwards. Finally, she touched a metal wall, feeling the vibrations inside. She backtracked. It was faint, but she could feel it. The guards ran into her, backing her up against the wall.

"It's over, boy!" one declared. "You've got nowhere else to go."

Toph gave a cheeky smile under her mask. Touching the metal, she gripped it as tight as she could, crushing it in her hands. This wall was thinner than the exterior wall, so it crushed without much hassle. The guards stood in shock.

"H-how the-"

"What the heck is going on here?"

Toph only lifted the metal so much so that she could slip her way through the top. She used her foot to straighten it after she had landed. The guards were trapped on the other side.

"Come on!" she heard. "We can catch him at the entrance!" She heard the pitter patter of little feet move as she exhaled. This was way too easy. She felt her foot around the area she was in. She was surrounded by men, most of them earthbenders. She frowned. Kazu wasn't with them.

"Did you just bend metal?" one of the prisoners asked.

Toph grabbed him by the throat and thrusted him against the wall. The rest of the people gasped. "Hey, Grandpa," she spat. "I'm here for a boy. Maybe you know where I can start my search."

"Who are you?" a skinnier guy asked.

"He's got a narrow body, on the shorter side. Name's Kazuhiro. Know him?" The old man shook his head. Toph grumbled. She slammed him against the wall again. "Firebender."

"What do you want with the firebender?" a younger boy, only a few years older than Toph, asked.

"Probably wants to tear his skin off like the rest of us," Another man hissed.

"Or maybe he wants to bust him out," the man next to him shouted.

The man Toph held in her hand glared at her. "What business do you have with the fire-breather?"

Toph clutched him tighter. "We have unfinished business."

"Wants to finish him off," the younger boy said. "Won't be too hard."

"Where is he?" she growled.

The old man trembled. "H-he's just down the hall there. Got his own special cell cause he ain't like the rest of us." Toph let go of the man. He landed on the floor with a thud. She walked over to the cell door, where her path was blocked by metal bars. She exhaled in annoyance and kicked the side of the bar, bending it so she could get through. Without hesitation she ran down the hall.

Toph reached out and touched the metal wall. A dead end. She scrunched her eyebrows feeling the vibrations. Everything in her gut told her he was just behind that wall. She kicked it, causing a large indent in the metal. But there was something on the other side blocking it. A stone? She scowled. It was just like in the catacombs. She focused her energy on the stone wall, lowering it before bursting through the metal. She could tell light was shining into the small room for the first time in a long time. The coolness of the walls made it certainly seem like a prison. She smiled, knowing she was in the right room at last.

"Fear not, fair maiden! For I, your shining knight, have come to rescue you from this dreadful place!" she shouted, not concerned with drawing attention to herself at all. However, she didn't feel any movement from her friend. She could hear his breath. She knew he was alive. Why wasn't he answering. He wasn't a heavy sleeper. She began to approach him, taking off her mask. "Hey, Kamikaze. Didn't you hear me? I came to get you out of here." She walked closer, taking her hand and moving to place it on his shoulder. "Kazuhiro?" Her hand touched his skin, but it was nothing like she was expecting. It was wet. The smell of sanguine soon perpetrated the air, causing Toph to recoil slightly. Now that her mask was off, she could catch the scent. "Kazuhiro!" She said, shaking him. It was the only thing she could think to do. "This isn't funny! Answer me! Please!"

Kazu shook, using his right arm as a base to try and pull himself up. Toph caught him and brought him up to the seated position. "T-Toph..." he managed to say before collapsing onto her. She could hear his breath tickle her ear. It was shallow, loud. He started to mumble something, but she couldn't quite catch it. She couldn't find the words to say. She leaned in closer, trying to identify his words. He lifted his head so his lips were right next to her hear. "It's not...worth it..." he managed before his head fell back down.

Toph scowled. Her entire body grew hot. She picked him up and slung him over her back. He didn't protest, he was barely conscious. "I'll decide whether or not it's worth it." She stood up, barely having any trouble lifting his light body. She could feel footsteps of guards coming towards her. Her ears turned red. She picked up her mask and put it back on. Angrily, she ran out of the cell, carrying Kazu on her back.

"There! The intruder!" one of the guards said. Toph used her metal bending in order to knock him out. Another slew of guards came hustling back, but she didn't stop. She ran as fast as she could, climbing over the tall wall. She told Kazu to hold on as tight as he could, but soon realized he was having trouble staying conscious. When they were clear of the guards for a moment, she set him down and untied her hair, fastening his wrists together with the ribbon. It wasn't long before they were spotted again. She picked him up and let him hang around her neck.

She ran until she reached the labor yard with all of the earth. There, she fired rocks at the guards mercilessly. She couldn't help herself. She was angry. Furious. They were the ones who were abusing him. She wanted to shout at them, scream at the top of her lungs. She hated them. She hated her parents and the war. Her anger began to cause the earth below her to rumble. Spikes of earth came flying out passed the metal floor. Shards of it flew toward the guards, who ran away, not knowing what to do. Toph didn't care what she hit or destroyed anymore. She ran through the solid metal wall, tearing it with her bare hands. She closed it again before the guards could follow her.

Sprinting down to the water, she reached down her robe and brought out the whistle. She set Kazu down and unlaced his hands. The ribbon fell to the floor as she picked him up, her hair flowing in the wind. She blew Appa's whistle, but it didn't make a sound. Suddenly a rumble was heard from the other side of the prison. The guards were moving around the gates, soon to be open.

"Come on, Aang. Give me something..." she mumbled. She heard a gasp come from a little distance away.

"Toph!" the voice called. Toph tilted her head.

"Katara? What are you-"

"Hurry up and dive in before they see you!" she shouted.

But Toph shook her head. "I can't swim!"

"Just trust me!" she yelled, diving back under.

Toph felt a bead of sweat roll down her neck. She gripped Kazu tightly and took a running dive into the water. She could practically taste the salt in her nose as her mask fell off her face, floating to the surface. As soon as they touched the water, though, Kazu let out a scream. Bubbles flew out of his mouth, filling his lungs with the salty sea. He kicked furiously, trying to get out of the water. Toph managed to keep a strong hold on him. A hand reached out and grabbed her, pulling her down further into the water. She felt the water suddenly disappear and she fell to the ground, coughing.

"Toph! Are you okay?" Katara asked, rushing down to her. "Aang!" she said, turning to the Avatar. "We need to keep moving."

"On it," he said. Toph understood now. They were bending the water around them, like a kind of barrier. It was just as they had done it in the Serpent's Pass.

Kazu stopped screaming, only to be replaced with heavy grunting and breathing. Katara made her way over to him. "The salt must have gotten into the open wounds," she concluded, picking the boy up. Toph offered to take him on her back, which Katara readily accepted. "We need to get him looked at as soon as possible." She joined Aang in bending the water.

"What are we going to do then?" Aang asked. "We can't take him back to the Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation is too far of a trip. He wouldn't make it."

"We can take him back to the Metalbending Academy," Toph said, dragging her friend on her back. "It's only an hour on Appa. Besides, my students probably think I ditched them by now. I promised I would be back on the Summer Solstice."

The group agreed and once they were safely a few miles out to sea, Toph lifted the earth under her to lift them up out of the ocean. Aang called for Appa with the whistle. It wasn't long before the giant flying bison swooped down, with Sokka at the helm. Suki leaned over the front of the saddle and grabbed each of her friends up. They didn't waste much time before they were off. Aang took over flying. No one said a word almost the entire way to the academy. Katara worked hard to heal as many of Kazu's wounds as possible, but she couldn't really help until they reached their destination. Toph wrung out her hair, just letting it fall over her face. She had stripped off her armor and the outer part of her robe. Unwrapping one of the gauze strips from around her waist, she tied it around his head. Her lips formed a slight smile. She did it. It was over.


	14. Reason Says

**Avatar: The Last Airbender (c) Nickelodeon/ Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko**

**Kazuhiro Tatsumaru (c) Me**

_CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Reason Says _

The students of Toph's academy were in shock when she brought Kazu into her dojo. Perhaps it was because they had never seen their Sifu demonstrate such compassion. Perhaps also it was because of the horrific image their young eyes were forced upon. Nevertheless, the children gave their teacher space as she needed it. Toph instructed them not to come into her room for any reason. Katara would spend the next few hours in there, using her healing powers to clean and seal up Kazu's bloody wounds.

It was after the second hour that the boy finally began to stir. Toph had promised to let Katara do what she needed to do and wait before she scolded him for showing up at the Beifong estate when she explicitly told him not to. Katara reached into the bowl of water placed beside her. She soaked a rag and placed it on Kazu's chest, running the water over his hot skin. He stiffened at first, but eased into it after a while.

"This is a special remedy I learned at the north pole," she explained. "It'll take the pain away."

"Pain is...relative..." he winced. "But I appreciate it. Thank you." He looked up toward the ceiling. "How's Toph?"

"Better," she said. "She's still getting over the fact that she did an entire jailbreak by herself." Katara wrung out the cloth again. "Crazy if you ask me."

But Kazu shook his head. "Absolutely insane." He sighed. "She's always been like that. I shouldn't be surprised, really. She doesn't think with her head, only with her heart." He felt his cheeks begin to flush. "That is...um...with her emotions."

Katara smiled. "She must be quite fond of you."

But Kazu just laughed. "No. She just likes having someone to kick around." His chuckles caused his stomach to ache. He leaned over in pain.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't make jokes." She grinned. "But don't worry. The pain won't last long."

Kazu sighed, closing his eyes. "Katara..." His eyes glistened as he spoke. "I know Toph can be tough to handle sometimes, but thank you for sticking with her." He put his hand on hers. "I feel better knowing she's in good hands."

Katara reciprocated and held his hand, gently squeezing it. "You're a good person, Kazuhiro," she said.

But the boy chuckled, ignoring the pains in his chest. "No, I'm just a thief." He scooted up, trying to get more of his head on the pillow he was lying on. "Sneaking around at night, pillaging houses, living day to day off of stolen food? That's no life for her." He frowned. "That's no life for anyone."

"Kazu..."

"What she really needs is a family," he said quietly. "A real family." He was quiet for a moment, his smile fading. "One like mine."

Katara released his hand. "When we get you cured, we'll take you back to the Fire Nation."

"Katara..."

"You can start over again. You'll be with your own people, in your own world." She nodded repeatedly. "Won't that be nice?"

He lifted his hand once more towards her. He managed to grab onto her shirt before losing the rest of his energy. "Katara...it's okay." His eyes met hers. "I'm going to be okay." There was a long pause before he lowered his hand down, looking at the stars. "It hurts to breathe," he whispered. Katara went back to the water, bending it around his swollen legs. "You know," he said breathlessly. "Technically I should have died a long time ago."

"Are you..." Katara began, trying to find her voice. "Happy you didn't?"

Kazuhiro half smiled. "Yeah." He leaned his head towards her again. "I'm happy."

"So?" Sokka asked, being the only one in the dojo. Katara looked at him glumly. She pulled him aside as they went outside into the rock garden.

"I've done everything I can think of," she said. "All the wounds healed fine, but there's still a lot of internal damage."

Sokka looked back into the dojo. Toph was making her way to her room. His heart fell. "So that means..."

"I don't know, Sokka." Katara rested her head on her brother's shoulder. "I just don't know."

Toph sat with her knees on the floor, her hands resting elegantly on them. She could still feel his breathing, arhythmic and slow. "I wish I could see you," she said.

"No, you don't," came his response.

Toph lowered her head. "I'm sorry, Kazu. I tried to reason with them. I tried to make things work." She let her body sink into the floor. "I can't go back there now. Not after everything they've done."

Kazu nodded. Disappointment laced his voice. "I understand." The air shifted in the stillness. Nothing but the light of a single candle showed the boy his friend's face. He kind of liked it that way. "Can I ask you something?"

Toph lifted her head to hear better. "Sure."

Kazu closed his eyes and exhaled. "Do you think...I'm a good person?"

Toph shifted around awkwardly in her seated position, unsure of what to say. "Of course you're a good person."

"Even though I lied to you?"

Toph shrugged. "You did it to protect me."

"I did it because I thought if you knew who I was, you wouldn't want to be my friend," he confessed. "Selfishness is not a virtue."

"Why are you going on about this now?" Toph asked. "I mean, what happened five years ago isn't-"

"You broke the law, because of me," he said softly. "Mr. Morikami died because I couldn't protect him. I ran away from duty, I lied to my best friend, I stole for the Fire Nation, I sold my soul to thugs..."

"Kazu-"

"How?" He shook his head ferociously. "How could you possibly say I'm a good person?"

"Okay, so you've made some mistakes," Toph agreed. "Big deal! Those things don't matter."

"They do matter!"

"Not to me!" She sighed, feeling her cheeks begin to blush. "You deliberately put yourself in danger for me. You were my friend when no one else knew I existed. And besides that..." she swallowed hard. "You were nice to me." He stared at her blankly. "Bad people don't make other people happy, Kamikaze. So just shut up? Will you?"

It was quiet again. "We got on a boat."

"What?"

"After I left your house, we got on a boat," he explained. His head was beginning to throb. "The boss said we were on our way back to the Fire Nation. I knew after that fiasco I would have to pay with some kind of punishment." Toph leaned back as she listened to him tell the story.

_Kazu held his breath as he was dunked into the icy cold water. Shinyo's bronze arm yanked him up only for a second. He coughed and gasped for air before being flung back down into the river. When he was done, he threw the young child against the boards of the boat. As he grasped for air he felt a hand reach across his face, slapping him down. He slipped and fell onto the floor, unable to break his fall with his bound feet and arms. _

_"What'll we do with him?" Shinyo asked. _

_"We could dump him overboard," Kanta yelled, gripping Kazu by the throat and lifting him up. "That way he can swim back to his girlfriend." _

_Shinyo appeared on top of him, caressing his hair. "I say we take him back to the Fire Nation and let them cut off that sweet little head of his!" _

_"Enough!" A sterner voice said. His boss was staring at him. "Let me speak with the boy." Kanta and Shinyo released Kazu and he fell to the floor. "Now, let's see. Punishment for treason is indeed beheading." He sat right across from Kazu. "And it's no less than you deserve." _

_Kazu gulped, allowing the other members of the ship to rejoice. "Y-yes Sir." _

_"However!" The Boss said standing up. "I am not an unreasonable man. Since we do not have the Gaoling scroll to report to the Fire Nation, we have no choice but to travel on to Ba Sing Se and steal from there. It'll be tricky, but there are already Fire Nation spies working undercover. It will be easy enough to get inside." He smiled. "So really, it's no great loss." _

_"But Boss!" Shinyo whined. "The Kid's a traitor!" _

_"Shut up!" The Boss said. "I wasn't finished!" He leaned back down to Kazu's level. The boy trembled at the sight of his decaying teeth. "If you still wanted to come with us to Ba Sing Se, Boy, I'm sure we could work out a deal." _

_"A-a deal?" Kazu sputtered. _

_"Yes..." The man reached out and gripped Kazu by the chin. "I'd be willing to let this entire incident flutter away. But you must obey every command I give you from now on. If I ask you to steal something, you do it. If I ask you to chop off the head of a cat, you do it. No hesitations. No words." Kazu recoiled. "You'll be my little servant boy. Now and forever." _

_"Can you make him do anything?" Shinyo asked. "Like drink his own pee?" _

_"Anything I say," The Boss smirked. "No complaints." He stood up. "I think that sounds fair." _

_Kazu bit his lip. "No way! I'm not drinking my own pee!" he shouted. _

_"It's this or the chopping block, Boy! I suggest you evaluate my offer." He smiled. "Kanta, make sure we find a good place to stay tonight. We head for Ba Sing Se." _

_They arrived at a small little town on the coast of the Earth Kingdom. They stayed in a small little tavern, where the men drank gallons of beer served to them by a kindly woman and her husband. Kazu spent the evening handing them glass after glass, watching them gorge themselves to death. He cringed. He could have gone back on the deal at any time, but he couldn't. He was afraid of death, afraid of what his parents would say if they watched his head roll on a slab of stone. This was his life now, and he was just going to have to deal with it. _

_"Tatsumaruuu!" The Boss called for him yet again. The boy appeared, with a discontented scowl on his face. _

_"Yes, Sir?" he asked through his teeth. _

_"I seem to have something in my teeth," he said grinning. "Would you be a dear and pick it out for me?" Kazu winced. Knowing he couldn't back down, he got close to the man and reached into his mouth. He didn't have a toothpick, so he had to use his nail to pick the gunk out. He wiped the saliva off on his shirt, beginning to walk away. "Thank you. Oh! Tatsu. You forgot!" _

_Kazu turned around. "Forgot what?" he asked bitterly. He pointed to his cheek, smiling a cheeky yet irritating smile. Kazu rolled his eyes as he walked back over to his Boss. The others laughed hysterically as he pecked the man on his rough wrinkled skin, immediately wiping his mouth once he was out of sight. _

_That night, the Boss didn't want to take any chances of Kazu running away, so he tied him up in the tavern owner's barn. He told the nice old man and woman it was because Kazu had problems with sleepwalking, which the boy had to admit was a really good excuse. He had almost made it to sleep when he was awoken by his stomach. He lifted his knees, trying to shut it up. He hadn't had anything to eat since they landed the boat. All of the sudden, he could hear footsteps coming from outside the barn. _

_"Hello?" A sweet younger woman's voice called. "Little boy? Are you okay? I thought you might like some-" she gasped when she saw him tied up. "Oh my! What...what is going on here?" _

_"Oh this?" Kazu said shrugging. "I...um...sleepwalk." _

_The woman nodded, not fully convinced by the boy's story. "I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you some soup from supper." She tried to untie Kazu but realized the restraints were made of_

_some kind of metal. "Oh dear." She fiddled with them for quite some time before she was finally able to figure out how they worked. After a good ten minutes of nonstop effort, the restraints fell to the floor. As soon as he was free, Kazu grabbed the bowl of soup and started to slurp it down. The woman sighed. "Your father shouldn't be allowed to treat you like that," she finally said. _

_Kazu swallowed his soup. "Oh, he's not my father. He's my boss." _

_"Your...boss?" _

_"Yeah, I do things for him and he pays me by letting me stay with him." The woman handed him a roll. He took it and bowed. "Thank you so much, Ma'am." _

_"What's your name?" _

_"Kazuhiro," he said shoving the bread in his mouth. "Buch my friesh call me Kamiashie..." he swallowed. "Well, my one friend. I don't even know if we are friends anymore." _

_"Kazuhiro. That's very nice." _

_Kazu felt a pit in his stomach. He knew that the group was going to ransack her house that night. They did that everywhere they stayed. He couldn't just let her be caught in the middle of it. "Um...hey..." _

_"Yes?" _

_He sighed. "Listen. I know I'm just a kid, but you've gotta listen to me." He looked left and right. "You're house is gonna get attacked tonight." _

_The woman gasped. "What?"_

_"Those guys...the guy I work for, he's from the Fire Nation." He sighed, shuffling his feet. "And so am I. You need to call the police right now." _

_"You're from the Fire Nation?" Kazu nodded. He was waiting for the look of shock and disgust from the woman, but it never came. She simply smiled. "Of course you are, that's why your name is so unique." _

_"...I don't understand." _

_"Oh, you poor child. You've been hurt," she reached up and touched a bruise on Kazu's face. "Here. I know a man who can help you." _

"So, she brought me to Morikami," Kazu finished. "The other guys came after me, banging on his door and such. But Mr. Morikami, he just stood there. When they tried to charge the house, I saw him bend for the first time. It was amazing, Toph. I had never seen so much light in my life." He grunted, the pain starting to get to him. "He protected me from then on. We moved a few miles down the coastline. He took me in as his apprentice and yeah..." He began to breathe heavily again. His chest rose and fall as though it were pumping a tire full of air.

"Kazu?" Toph sat up. "Kazu!"

Kazu let out a cry of pain, his entire body tensing up. Toph stumbled over him, her face three inches from his. Finally the pain stopped and Kazu relaxed into himself. "So there," he said with a smile. "Now you know." Toph leaned back on her feet, sitting closer than before. "If I tell you something, promise not to be offended?"

"I'll try," Toph said jokingly.

"Sometimes..." He looked up at her, her eyes glazing right over him as they always did. "Sometimes I wish I was blind like you."

This caught Toph off guard. "Why would you wish something like that?"

Kazu sighed. "I've seen so many things. Images I can never get out of my head. People dying, forests burning down, entire lives destroyed in puddles of blood." He smiled. "You're lucky, Toph. You don't know what that looks like. What any of it looks like. When all you see is darkness, you'd be better off to just be blind." He was silent, but only for a second. "But to feel one with the world. To hear it's voice. That's a true miracle."

"That's not true," Toph said. She clutched her knees tightly. "You'd want to give up on all the world's beauty just to avoid some of it's tragedy? That's stupid." She twitched, her entire body shaking. "You don't think I wonder what it would be like to know what my friends look like? To see the ocean? To know what color is?" She leaned over him. "You're just saying those things because you're tired."

"Yeah, maybe..." he said quietly.

"I experience those things," Toph admitted. "Through people like you. So I wouldn't want you to be blind." She scooted closer to him.

"You're right, Toph," he grinned. "Always are."

She reached over and touched his face. It was clean now. She tried to get a sense of the shape, but Kazu picked up his hand and placed it into hers. He brought it over his chest. She could feel his heartbeat beginning to slow. She collapsed onto the floor next to him, her entire body hunched. Her hair flew all around. She hadn't bothered to tie it back up since they came back. She hadn't even changed her clothes. Kazu looked towards her, unable to turn his entire body. He spent the next couple hours just staring at her. He never thought it was odd that she couldn't see him. He never wished she could. Toph could feel him. Every vibration, every heartbeat. To him, that was the real beauty. His breathing began to slow, the vibrations around him were getting weaker. His heartbeat shook the floor. Toph couldn't bear it, but she also couldn't tear herself away.

"I wonder what that feels like to you," he finally whispered. "Probably indescribable."

"Kazuhiro..."

"Absolutely...indescribable." He listened to the beat slowly begin to fade. He closed his eyes, trying to sense the vibrations like Toph did. Toph felt his hand slip away from hers, allowing her to release him. The vibrations stopped. Everything was quiet. Her own heart felt as though it would stop.

"Kazuhiro?" The boy didn't stir. Toph recoiled back. There was no heavy breathing in the air. No palpitations. Nothing. She felt blind again, only this time she knew that she could see perfectly fine. Sitting up, she reached over toward the candle, blowing it out. Not a single tear fell from her face. Not a single sound escaped from her lips. She lay back down in her position, nuzzling close to her friend. For once, she could hear the sound of silence and she wished with all her might that it would disappear.

**In case you enjoy musical references... **

Look, I find some of what you teach suspect  
Because I'm used to relying on intellect  
But I try to open up to what I don't know

_Because reason says_  
_I should've died three years ago. _

****

Read more: RENT - Life Support Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

**Song: Life Support **


	15. Epilogue: The Fruit of Our Labors

**Avatar: The Last Airbender (c) Nickelodeon/Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko**

**Kazuhiro Tatsumaru and other original characters (c) Me**

_EPILOGUE: The Fruit of Our Labors _

They buried him not too far from the academy. Up the hill, by a small tree. The service was short, the words few. The entire week after that felt like a blur. Katara tried to approach Toph to apologize, but the girl wasn't angry. She knew they did all they could. Suki was next to try and talk to her, but she couldn't get near her long enough. Aang was next, but he ended up with a large bruise on his arm from a flying rock. That left only Sokka to pick up. He knew, in the end, it would have to be him all along. He found the girl in a garden of rock. She was standing there, practicing. She felt him come up behind her.

"Go away," she said.

"Toph...listen..."

"I said go away!" she shouted. The entire earth shook under her. "I don't want you here! I just want to be alone!"

"Look," Sokka said. "I know it's hard but-"

"No." She scoffed. "No, no no no no no no no! You do _not _get to tell me what is and isn't 'hard'!"

"All I meant was-"

"You don't understand, alright?" she screamed, throwing a rock at him. He quickly ran to dodge it. "You'll never understand! So just take your perfectly perfect life and your perfectly perfect girlfriend and just leave. me. Alone!" She kept tossing rocks at Sokka, who simply stood there with a pitiful look on his face. Each of the rocks barely missed him. He knew she wasn't actually aiming towards him. "Just..." He noticed her begin to quiver. "Just leave me alone." She felt a hand touch her shoulder, then another. Sokka squeezed them slightly.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

Toph couldn't hold it in anymore. She felt the tears begin to pour down her face. She couldn't stand. She couldn't breathe. She thought for sure she would die right then and there. Sokka ran to the other side of her and caught her as she collapsed into him. She couldn't stop sobbing. Her heart beat faster and faster until she swore it would burst. Her tears soaked Sokka's tunic. He put a hand on her head, comforting her.

"I tried so hard," she shivered. "I did everything! Everything I could! And he still..." She leaned her head on Sokka, trying to keep in her tears. "And now all I can think is that I'll never even know what he looked like." she said in a half whisper.

Sokka nodded. "Come on," he said, lifting her up. "Let's go for a walk."

"Did I ever tell you about the time I fell in love with the moon?" Sokka asked. Toph wiped her eyes.

"You would do something that stupid."

Sokka frowned. "Hardy har har. I'm trying to help you feel better."

"Hearing your past love failures is going to make me feel better?" She crossed her arms. "This oughtta be good."

"Her name was Yue. She was the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe. She was this beautiful woman with long white hair, and eyes like blue crystal."

"You know that means absolutely nothing to me," Toph reminded him.

Sokka blushed, scratching the back of his head. "But she was engaged to another guy."

Toph exhaled in annoyance. "That's nice and cliche."

"And it was this whole big deal. I thought I would lose her to him but..." He sighed. "In the end she sacrificed herself to save the moon spirit," he explained. "Just like Kazu sacrificed himself to save you."

"They were both idiots," she droned.

Sokka sighed. He knew this wasn't going to work. "The point is, I know what it feels like to lose someone you love. It wasn't just my mother." He sat down on a rock. "That's what war does. You're only just now getting a taste of it."

But Toph shook her head. "The war is over, Sokka. The Fire Nation is rebuilding itself. Why does everyone still hate them? Zuko's doing a great job as Fire Lord! They're re-establishing relations with the other nations!" She slammed her fists into the stone. "It's not fair!"

"I know it's not," Sokka agreed. "But that's the world we live in. People aren't ready to forgive the Fire Nation. Can you really blame them?"

Toph frowned. "No..." She sat down next to Sokka, hugging her knees together. "But that doesn't make it right." She crossed her legs. "The entire system is messed up. No one cares who they throw in jail, no one cares how the prisoners are treated." She growled. "People like Xin Fu get off scott free while Kazuhiro has to die and I'm supposed to be okay with this?"

"You know what they say," he replied. "When something isn't right, it's up to us to fix it."

Toph laughed. "Haha! What? Join the force or something?"

"Maybe."

Toph punched Sokka in the arm. "You're an idiot, Meathead." But then she smiled "But that's why I keep you around."

She held in her hand the sand crystal dragonfruit. She placed it on the soil, kneeling down before a small pile of dirt on the top of a hill. It was a good spot, she figured. Nice and cool, yet allowed for the sun to shine through the branches of the trees. The soil was too loose for her liking, but she thought for her friend it was perfect. She placed her head at the base of the grave out of respect. After a while she lifted it again, sitting back on her knees. Her hair was pulled back again, but her bangs still tussled in the light air.

"God's wind, Kamikaze" she said.

She stayed there for a while before returning to the dojo. She rang the bell, alerting her students that there would indeed be practice today. They crept out of their rooms, surprised by what they saw.

"Metal," She shouted. "Is a state of mind. To believe that metal is unbendable is to believe that everything in this world is stagnant." She folded her arms behind her back. Her friends peeked in to watch the scene. "To agree to this means that you are unwilling to change what needs to be changed." She turned around. "There is a lot in this world that needs to be changed." Pacing back and forth, she waited until her students formed a straight line. "And who is going to change it if we do not first push the boundaries we are given?"

"Sifu Toph!" one of the students gasped. Another shushed her.

"We bend because we choose to be one with nature. We do not dominate it. We do not lie to it. It is part of us. When you bend, you must bend for a purpose. Before, we used to bend for survival. Then, for the past hundred years, we bent for protection and battle. But you have to find your own reason. Just like I have." She smirked. "So..." Toph lifted up a metal rod off the wall. "Who's first?"

**Thanks for reading. **


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